WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Bark Social, the country’s first social club for dogs and dog lovers, announced today it has acquired Barkhaus in Alexandria, Va. This makes Bark Social the first company in the industry to acquire another dog bar.
The 6,000 square foot Barkhaus facility will become Bark Social’s fourth location – along with Bethesda, MD, Baltimore, MD, and Philadelphia, PA – with more on the way. The park will continue to serve dogs and dog lovers, with an off leash dog park, a bar and a full kitchen. New leadership will bring freshly-trained Bark Rangers to keep dogs safe, a full calendar of social events, a full bar (adding liquor to the existing offerings), and a new boutique featuring both dog and human goods.
“We’re thrilled to bring Bark Social to Alexandria and build upon the community that Barkhaus has built there,” said Luke Silverman, co-founder and CEO of Bark Social. “As more dog lovers look for fun and safe places to bring their dogs, we are eager to meet the demand with our new locations.”
Barkhaus, Alexandria’s first dog bar, was founded in the fall of 2020 by Alex Benbassat and Justin LeGores. Alex and Justin reached out to Bark Social about an acquisition after three years of cultivating many two and four-legged regulars in the Del Ray community. Benbassat will stay on as an operating partner at Bark Social, and continue to lead the Alexandria team.
“We’ve always been close to the Bark Social team, and I know that there is nobody better to carry on – and build upon – our dream for this location than them,” says Alex Benbassat, co-founder of Barkhaus. “This location will continue to be the best place in Alexandria for dogs and dog lovers, with some exciting new features coming soon.”
This week, CEO Luke Silverman also announced that Charlene Lee, the company’s COO, has been named a co-founder of Bark Social. Charlene is a dog-mom to her 160 pound mastiff mix, Jack, and she first came to Bark Social in 2021 after launching ArtLifting and running New Politics. Charlene will help lead Bark Social as the company becomes the largest brand for dog lovers in the country.
Bark Social will continue to expand its footprint in the Mid-Atlantic region and on the West Coast. The brand has Columbia, MD and two Los Angeles, CA locations already under development, and plans for additional locations across the US. Bark Social has served over 420,000 humans and 290,000 dogs in just two and half years. The average member visits the park 7 times a month, and the average Bark Social guest hangs out at the park for 78 minutes per visit.
About Bark Social
Bark Social was founded in 2021 as a bar for dog lovers, where dogs are encouraged but not required. The indoor/outdoor venue hosts a professionally monitored off-leash dog park and features a beer garden and full bar, a coffee bar, a cafe that offers dog and human snacks, as well as a full retail experience. Bark Social is currently unleashing joy in four cities across the country, and has three other locations under development. For more information visit www.barksocial.com, @bark_social.