Sarasota celebrates reopening of beloved dog bar

Ellen Kealey recalls being among the first guests at the establishment formerly known as Boo’s Ice House and Dog Bar.

“When they shut down, we didn’t know what we were going to do, and we were so overjoyed when we found out that Dog Bar St. Pete was going to come and rescue us,” she said. 

On July 19, the city's only dog bar returned as Dog Bar Sarasota, with a grand opening celebration that welcomed many longtime members and supporters back to the space, while offering a foam machine. 

The space features a 1,500 square foot indoor yard, an outdoor turf area with a splash pool, and a bar and restaurant, welcoming dogs with a $7 day pass or membership package, and solo attendees for free. 

Indeed, it wasn’t only humans to be back, but also the canines as well. 

Kevin Quick said his and his fiancee Amanda Hopper’s dog Lando loves the site. 

“He’ll run around for two hours, we’ll have a couple of drinks, and then he’ll sleep like a rock,” he said.

Yet they've also enjoyed returning as well. 

“We would come here probably two or three times a week, and I always said to people, it was a restaurant that allowed dogs,” said Kevin Quick. “The food was so good.”

When Boo’s closed in January after less than two years, its owners Mindy Kauffman and her husband Bobby Boivin had cited a slowdown in sales following the hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024.

Yet Stephanie Marble and Fred Metzler, the owners of Dog Bar St. Pete, who already knew Kauffman and Boivin from their attendance at the St. Pete bar, took up the task of reviving the space.

Metzler says in his and Stephanie's opinion, every city should have a dog bar. He also said the community's interest was visible that day. 

“We expected busy, we didn’t expect quite this,” he said. “But it’s been great. People have been mostly understanding and really gracious. They get the fact that it’s our first day. There’s going to be some growing pains.”

He says the focus of the business will be on the dogs. At the same time, it offers a revised food menu, food not being something that was offered at the St. Pete location, with the help of chef Emerick Polgar.

“We’re going to try our best to create what we have in St. Pete with a bigger, more beautiful space,” Metzler said.

“I’m going to do my part,” said Kealey. I’ll be here every day.”