Bar K, popular dog park and bar, announces sudden closure to all locations—including OKC
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — A popular Oklahoma City dog park, bar and restaurant announced on Tuesday that it will be closing its doors permanently and immediately due to financial difficulties.
"We are heartbroken to announce that 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," Bar K said in a statement on Tuesday.
The popular dog park stated that various challenges came into play that led up to its permanent closure, which included "severe economic challenges" and inflation.
We know Bar K has become a beloved, indispensable destination for you and your pups, and we understand many of you will be upset and disappointed by this decision and want to understand the reasons. 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. Among many other factors, 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.
Bar K
The business also stated that each of its locations — Oklahoma City, Kansas City, and St. Louis — faced their own difficulties, aside from the economic challenges.
Bar K opened its Oklahoma City location on Southeast 5th Street in February 2023.
The popular dog park and bar went on to thank its employees and customers for their support over the years.
"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. Also, on behalf of everyone at Bar K, we want to thank you, the dog-loving community, for supporting us over the years and for trusting us to create this unique new experience for you and your pups," Bar K said in a statement.