K9 Garden (4565 McRee) opened last month at the former Bar K space in Forest Park Southeast, just east of The Grove. The large, membership-based indoor/outdoor dog park allows dogs to run off leash while their owners relax. The facility includes a multi-concept restaurant and bar, two outdoor satellite bars, a live music stage, several rentable event spaces, and a separate area for small dogs. “Nothing like it exists in St. Louis or Missouri,” says Chuck Schoene, corporate director of operations. K9 Garden operates five days a week (closed Tuesday and Wednesday), opening at 6 a.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. on weekends, and closing at 9 p.m. Here’s what to know before you go.
The Facility
Five months after Bar K, a similar membership-based dog park and restaurant, closed all three of its locations, including in St. Louis, K9 Garden took over the Forest Park Southeast property. The owner is Seneca CRE, who also owns 9 Mile Garden and the retail center where that property is located. K9 Garden opened January 16 and secured its liquor license February 13.
The locally owned and operated concept is the city’s only full-service indoor/outdoor dog park and social space. “We are a dog park, first and foremost, but it’s a full-service dog park with a lot of amenities,” Schoene says. Those amenities include a restaurant and bar, two satellite bars, a covered patio equipped with radiant heaters, a live music stage, and multiple rentable indoor and outdoor spaces for private events, markets, and meetups.
The overall capacity is 500 people and 200 dogs. Indoors, the restaurant and a private meeting room—accommodating up to 30 people and 15 dogs—are available to rent. Outdoors, Petfinder Park can host 80 people and 25 dogs. Additional outdoor areas are also rentable, and the team plans to expand event programming with a series of dog breed meetups, pop-up markets, beer festivals, St. Louis CITY SC watch parties, yoga sessions, and adoption events in partnership with Stray Paws, Needy Paws, and Speak! Rescue…