Down, Boise! Not even open yet, planned ‘dog park bar’ already started to ‘blow up’

Earlier this year, Clubhound owner Jake Whitlock found himself in a ruff spot.

Wanting to stir up attention, his planned “dog park bar” began barking a little on social media.

Next thing you know?

“It kind of started to blow up,” Whitlock says.

Within a month, there were 135 business inquiries about partnerships, he says. Clubhound also presold a couple hundred memberships.

“We only did Instagram and Facebook ads for, like, a month and a half. Then we turned them off. It was like: ‘OK, that worked. Let’s hold off until we’re further along.’ ”

“It got to be a little overwhelming,” he says.

Dogs, coffee, beer, food

Slated to debut this summer, Clubhound will take over a former industrial building and property at 411 Remington St. in Garden City. The dog-lovers’ destination will sit on 2.4 acres — with ample room for canines to frolic while their owners sip a cold beverage, eat food-truck grub and socialize. Serving rotating draft beers and wine, the bar will be in a renovated 4,000-square-foot warehouse. It will be on-leash. Another 100,000 square feet outside will be supervised off-leash play space.

“We’re your new neighborhood coffee shop,” Clubhound explains on its website, “your after-hours drinking hole, your spot for work and play. Everything you want in a happy place — plus your dog.”

The idea has been years in the making, Whitlock says — back to when he was a college student taking his golden retriever to a Meridian dog park. For an hour each day, he would study, bake in the sun and think … there has to be a better way. A way with shade, beer and food, perhaps?

“I started looking around the rest of the country,” he says. “Has anyone done this before? Turns out they have been, and increasing very, very rapidly.”

Established brands range from Bar K — which has locations in Kansas City, St. Louis and Oklahoma City — to Texas-based franchise chain Mutts Canine Cantina. With plans to expand west into Arizona and Colorado, Mutts is growing faster than an Irish wolfhound puppy.

“They’re crushing it,” Whitlock says. “I started putting two and two together: ‘Wait, there’s a lot of dogs in Idaho.’ ”

Clubhound will be free for humans — with and without dogs. But canines will have to be members. The cost will be $12 for a daily pass. Memberships are being sold for $35 (monthly) and $305 (yearly). They come with people perks such as 10% off beverages and unlimited self-serve dog washing.

Clubhound also plans to host a monthly event that’s like a farmers market, except with dog-related booths, Whitlock says.

Summer goal

There’s still plenty of work to do. Whitlock hopes that Clubhound can open in June or July, but that’s not a firm timeline. The plan is to operate from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week, but “that may change down the line,” he adds.

Although Clubhound has settled down a bit on social media, early bird-priced memberships are being sold through the dog park bar’s website — to “kind of reserve your spot,” he explains.

“We may have to cap our membership in the future. Some parks, I’ve noticed throughout the country, have had to do that. But we are one of the largest parks based on square footage.

“A lot of it will be a learning experience as we get into it,” he admits.

Bottom line? “We know the market’s there,” he says.

The hype level on social media already proved that.

“It kind of gave us a lot of confidence in the project,” Whitlock says.

This story was originally published April 12, 2023 at 4:00 AM.