If you’re like most Orlandoans I’ve met, if you could take your dog with you everywhere, you would; and while the city’s businesses are making strides in this area, there’s still a gap that hasn’t been filled yet. Enter your soon to be favorite spot for you and your pup: Boozehounds Dog Bar. Picture this…you’re kicking back with a cold, local brew, chatting with friends, while your pup gallops freely in an awesome dog park (or if they’re like mine, just happily marking all the trees). Either way, you see it, right? How awesome this would be? Lainie Pekich & Paul Jaszczenski did, and they decided to do something about it. So what inspired them to invest in such an idea? Her name is Kaia, and she’s a beautiful, 3 year old German Shepherd.
After Kaia joined their family, Lainie and Paul wanted her to join them whenever they went out, but soon realized that wasn’t as easy as it sounded. “When we went to a dog friendly restaurant or bar,” Lainie shared, “we had to stay outside on the patio where she was leashed up and hot. If we took her to a dog park where she could run and play, we were ultimately hot and bored. *Lightbulb!* Why can’t we have both? ” They spent the next year visiting similar dog park bar concepts across the country and continued to be fascinated by the positive environment these establishments created, not only for the dogs, but for the owners as well. They returned, eager to provide Orlando dog lovers with the same experience.
Lainie and Paul are no stranger to new ventures. Both graduates of UCF with degrees in Marketing, they worked in the corporate world for 20 years before taking their first entrepreneurial leap 6 years ago to start their own construction firm. Lainie noted that this gave them the confidence, knowledge, and means to start another venture. Lainie’s focus will be on Boozehounds, while Paul will continue to grow the construction business. I love a good “We left corporate America to pursue our dreams” story, don’t you?
Fast forward to the present, and Boozehounds Dog Bar is set to open this summer. Nestled in the heart of the new Edgewood Central District (about 3 miles south of Downtown Orlando) this space really has it all.
For the humans:
– A 2000 sq ft bar, outfitted with several big screens
– 12 beers on tap (to start), focusing on the best in Central Florida craft beer
– Pre-packaged food for purchase, local food truck collaborations, as well as local food delivery options
– A rooftop bar for private events
As if that wasn’t already a big enough sell…
For the pups:
– 1/3rd of an acre for them to explore and roam
– A variety of safe, agility equipment
– A water splash pad
– Several other activities to keep the pups happy and engaged
Sold? Me too. So how exactly does this work? Here are a few answers to what we assume will be frequently asked questions:
Is there a cost to visiting Boozehounds Dog Bar?
Boozehounds will primarily be a membership based establishment, though they do offer day passes as well. For more details on their membership types (annual, monthly, day pass) and pricing, please visit their membership page. They are currently running a pre-opening special for their annual membership!
What if I don’t have a dog and want to visit this bar, or my dog isn’t with me?
There is no cost/membership needed to visit the bar without a pup.
What are the requirements for membership?
In a nutshell, dogs must be current on vaccinations (within 1 year), older than 4 months, spayed/neutered, and friendly/social around other people and dogs. Humans must be 16+ years old, clean up after their dog, assume responsibly and liability for their dog’s behavior, and understand that violating these rules could result in being asked to leave the property. We recommend you visit this page for the expanded rules.
Are there any breed restrictions?
All breeds are welcome! As long as the pups are social, friendly (aka non-aggressive towards people or other dogs) they are good to go.
When will Boozehounds Dog Bar be open for business?
Summer 2019! Make sure you follow them on Instagram and Facebook for the latest updates.
All images courtesy of Boozehounds Dog Bar.
