Popular Kansas City dog bar closes suddenly. ‘We are heartbroken’
Dog bar chain Bar K has permanently closed its three locations — including in Kansas City.
The company announced via a mass email and website announcement that it had shut down.
“We are heartbroken to announce that Bar K will be closing permanently, effective immediately,” the paragraphs-long statement reads in part. “As is often the case, there isn’t one single cause, but rather a variety of challenges that ultimately proved too difficult for our start-up business to overcome.”
The company went on to cite inflation, labor costs and ongoing construction at the Kansas City location.
The news was a shock to members and employees alike. The Kansas City location’s associate general manager Dan Snyder found out Tuesday morning with the rest of the world.
He showed up to the 501 Berkley Parkway location to retrieve his computer and commiserated with a former patron who brought his dog by to confirm the news.
“I just kinda read that email they mass sent out,” Snyder said. “This is it.”
Construction along Kansas City’s Riverfront had proved a challenge for the business — the bar had to temporarily close for three days in July while the street around it was blocked off. That and the heat had slowed business, but he hoped they could still make it work.
Regardless, he said he doesn’t hold anything against Bar K itself.
“They fought as long as they could.”
The company began in 2018 in Kansas City by David Hensley and Leib Dodell of Bear Bishop LLC.
The 2-acre property featured a RoKC climbing wall, small pools, a jungle gym and more. It served cocktails, coffee and some bar food.
“Joyous for pets, joyous for humans,” Dodell described it to The Star at the time it opened.
In August 2023, Arizona-based Real Estate firm Diversified Partners announced its plans to acquire Bar K and make it a nationwide chain with 100 locations, moving its headquarters to Scottsdale.
Later that year, the Business Journal reported that the deal had fallen through.
In 2024, Bar K was named the best dog bar in the country by USA Today readers. Its two other locations were in St. Louis and Oklahoma City.
Neither Dodell nor Hensley could be immediately reached Tuesday morning to discuss specifics of the closures.
“Please know that a great many people worked incredibly hard and took enormous risks to create Bar K and keep our doors open as long as possible,” Bar K’s statement continues. “What hurts the most is knowing that the dogs will not understand why they can no longer visit their favorite place on earth. Please hug them for us – we know that you will continue to give them all your love and support so they can continue to live their very best lives. We will miss them terribly.”
This story was originally published July 29, 2025 at 11:09 AM.