Cocktails and Puppy Tails: St. Pete bar caters to 4-legged clients

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — Sit. Stay. Drink. There’s a bar in St. Petersburg that brings a whole new meaning to “belly up.”

From the chihuahua that sits quietly in her bed on the bar and watches every pull from the tap, to the two French Bulldogs that jump in and out of the cool water in a plastic pool, The Dog Bar is a harmonious blend of cocktails and wagging tails.

The Dog Bar concept started in Charlotte, NC, but co-owner Fred Metzler helped it find its home in downtown St. Pete.

“People work hard all week long, and they want to go out and maybe have a cocktail or two and feel guilty that their dog is stuck at the home,” explained Metzler. “And they get to do both. They get to bring their dogs. The dogs get to socialize. The people get to socialize,” he continued.

There are rules. The yearly membership is $40 for a dog and $20 for each additional dog in the household. All dogs must provide a record of their up-to-date vaccines. All dogs must be fixed once they are older than one year, and the dogs must be non-aggressive. Metzler decides who is aggressive. Those dogs must go through training to be allowed back on the property.

The concept bar has been open a year and a half, and it currently has more than 2,100 dog members.

“The day we adopted him from Pet Pal, we actually stopped by here that same day to check it out and decided to keep coming back,” said Jenna Brown, dog-mom to Zeke.

The Dog Bar is located at 2300 Central Ave in St. Petersburg. Most days they open at 4 pm, but the doors open at noon on Sunday. It is closed on Monday.Learn more about The Dog Bar hereCheck out The Dog Bar on Facebook