Bring your dog, grab a beer, and meet your community at Bark Social

Philadelphia is a dog town. Thirty-two percent of the city’s households own dogs, according to the latest Census, more than comparable cities like Houston and Detroit.

“We are a dog-loving city, and pups and their parents need places to interact” said Claire Gastineau, a manager at Bark Social, a bar and dog park hybrid that opened last year in Manayunk. “I would say that dog parks are the third places of our times.”

Third places, a movement popularized in the 1980s, gave birth to a proliferation of coffee shops as communal gathering places between work and home — and made Starbucks a household name.

“Being isolated is not good for people,” said Luke Silverman, founder of Bark Social. “And it’s not good for dogs either. Think of all the people working from home accompanied by their pups.”

So, at Bark Social, people come with their dogs to watch them play with other dogs and to meet people. The space is open to all — humans without a dog can enter for free, and vaccinated dogs need to have Bark Social memberships or a day pass.

“We like that we can relax and get to know more about our dog, Moses. He’s a German shepherd rescue, and he’s having lots of fun,” said Hillary Acosta Revell, an assistant principal in Germantown. “I love bringing a book and spending some time here with my husband, Zach, who works at Community Legal Services. He brings a crossword puzzle.”

Moses wears a patch on his collar with a Puerto Rican flag in honor of his human family, who live nearby and say that Bark Social has been a good addition to the neighborhood.

» READ MORE: Dogs and their humans share bar action at Bark Social in Philadelphia

Silverman’s business model started before COVID-19, but the pandemic gave the concept additional relevance. Escaping isolation and boredom became a priority for many people and their canines. Another dog bar in Philadelphia, the Boozy Mutt in Fairmount, provides similar services.

“That’s how we often find out what’s going on in the community. We don’t just talk about our dogs,” said Janet Finegar, one of the founders of Orianna Hill Park in Northern Liberties, a volunteer-led nonprofit. It was her organization, she said, that in 1999 convinced the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority, which owned the lot where the dog park now sits, to recognize the value of green spaces and dog runs for the well-being of communities in the city.

Today, the city’s Parks and Recreation Department supervises and grants permits for dog runs, managing about 15 dog parks. Most of those parks are public and depend on contributions from neighbors and dog owners to support basic expenses.

A 2021 ASPCA survey reported that 23 million American households acquired a pet during the pandemic, and “an overwhelming majority” of those dogs (90%) and cats (85%) are still in their homes.

“So our pets stayed with us,” Finegar said. “But, after telling our dogs not to get near people or other dogs during the pandemic, our task now is to teach them how to reconnect and enjoy themselves. That’s what we do in dog parks.”

And that’s where places like Bark Social come in. It’s a place where dog owners bring their pups to run, play, and frolic with other dogs, while they have something to drink and eat or simply talk with other members. It’s an enhanced dog park where someone else keeps an eye on the dogs, leads them in fun games, and cleans up after them.

That’s the Bark part. The Social part is a bar with beer and food and special events meant to bring people together. Those range from dog-themed trivia and bingo to paint-your-dog nights, speed-dating events (humans only), or memorial services for departed dogs. A recent event featured drag artists Pariah Sinclair and Cupid Bowe dancing and singing to an enthusiastic crowd.

“I like being surrounded by dogs,” Sinclair said with a laugh. “It’s quite different from my usual venues.”

Writer Kimberly Haas also likes that Bark Social encourages adoptions. She volunteers at ACCT Philly and remembers being invited to an event at Bark Social about fostering and adopting dogs. “It’s nice that a commercial place wants to promote adoption,” Haas said. “We got a lot of interest in some dogs. People wanted lots of information and advice.”

The first Bark Social opened in Bethesda, Md., in 2000, followed by spots in Baltimore, Alexandria, Va., and Manayunk, with others in the works.

“It’s a mixture of hospitality and dog services,” said Gastineau, who has worked at the Philadelphia location since it opened. She focuses on food and entertainment while her co-manager, Chris Ditaranto, uses his experience as a certified dog trainer to oversee the pets. A team of 50 full- and part-time employees take on the title of Bark Ranger when they’re tending to the dogs.

“We don’t do training here, but when a dog comes to our yard, I always look for their body language and personality,” Ditaranto said. “For dogs who have been mostly at home, this can be an overwhelming environment, so we know how to help them adapt to the presence of other dogs.”

At Bark Social, the green artificial-turf yard is peppered with colorful Adirondack chairs and picnic tables with umbrellas, allowing people to keep their distance or be up close to the dogs’ playful antics. Indoors, elongated tables and tall bar chairs are conducive to conversation or even engaging in quiet laptop work.

“We are focused on not only being a pet brand and a good bar,” Silverman said, “but also a trusted model based on common shared values around pets.”

Meanwhile, some of the regulars, like Brooke Vogelsang and her cockapoo, Charley, keep bringing friends and family for drinks and food. Last year she asked her mother for a Bark Social membership for her birthday. Charley has since made many buddies among the animal and human population of the park, including the Bark Rangers.