Bar K permanently closes in Kansas City
According to a, 'Bar K will be closing permanently, effective immediately. We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to create this joyful space where our community has been able to celebrate and share our special connection with our best friends.'
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The popular dog park and bar did not list a specific reason for its closure, but rather a number of factors that contributed to its decision to end operations.
'We faced the same severe economic challenges as the rest of the hospitality industry, including inflationary costs and expenses, an extremely difficult labor market, and sharply reduced consumer spending,' the dog park said.
It also claimed that each of its locations — Kansas City, St. Louis and Oklahoma City — faced several geographic challenges, particularly at the Berkley Riverfront.
Bar K pointed to the large construction projects in the riverfront area as a potential cause for the economic challenges. It said that the long-term projects led to a loss of parking spaces for visitors and isolated the business.
Despite many customers having already paid for monthly and/or year-long memberships, Bar K said it does not have the resources to offer refunds at this time.
However, the company said it will be reaching out to businesses and other partners to put together a benefits package to return as much value as possible to its members.
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'We want to thank our amazing team of employees – the one consistent refrain we've heard over the years is how much our customers appreciate the love and compassion our team has shown their dogs,' Bar K said.
'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.'
Randall Humbird goes to Bar K with his dogs every week. He moved to the Riverfront to be closer to the dog park.
'It's just sad because part of the reason why a lot of us, there are more dogs in this building than people, and part of the reason people moved down here is because it's just convenient, especially when you have dogs that need exercise. It's just nice to have a place where you can eat and drink and be with friends, and just let your dogs play. There's not really another place like that in Kansas city,' he said.
Mehgan Flynn and her two pups visit Bar K three times a week.
'I was devastated,' she said. 'It's one of the main reasons I enjoy living here is because of that amenity. So just really bummed.'
Master developer in the area, Port KC, said anytime you're redeveloping an area, it can be challenging.
President and CEO Jon Stephens said they're grateful for Bar K's investment and early partnership.
'I think there can be a lot of reasons for closures,' he said. 'We will miss the Bar K community, but we're going to work really hard to see what we can do to continue to have great destination in the park and other places for our dog parents in Kansas City.'
This is a developing story. Stay tuned as FOX4 gets more details about the closure.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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