Pamper your pooches (and yourself) at Modesto’s first indoor dog park with craft tap room

They say every dog has its day. In Modesto, a new business wants to ensure that day is in a clean, climate-controlled and well cared for space made just for them — and their humans.

Bark, the region’s first and only indoor dog park, has opened in McHenry Village. The concept from Modesto siblings Elora Jorgenson and Mike Day blends the convenience of an indoor dog park with the coziness of a craft beer tap room. The result is a place filled with lots of big smiles, tail wags and puppy love.

Bark Dog Park & Tap Room opened quietly in August in the well-established central Modesto shopping center. The debut marks the culmination of more than three years of work by the siblings to turn the 6,600-square-foot suite (the former home of the Hands-On Educational Supply Store, which moved to a different spot in the complex) into a bright, inviting space for canines and their human companions.

“There are times it brings a literal tear to my eye,” said Jorgenson, who since 2015 has run the dog training business Sit Means Sit with her husband, former Modesto Nuts pitcher Adam Jorgenson. “The amount of stress and emotion that went into this space. It’s such a validation to see the concept working and working better than I ever imagined. I knew the dogs would love it, but to see the people love it, too? To think I’m a little bit responsible for that is overwhelming.”

The business runs on a membership model. For a $25 monthly fee, members have unlimited access to the park and its various amenities during business hours. The space has two enclosed dog play areas, one for large dogs and another for smaller or shy dogs. Inside each park are play structures, turf, toys, seating areas and more.

To make the dog park/tap room concept work, Jorgenson and Day had to work with city and county departments to comply with existing California retail food codes, which do not allow non-service animals inside establishments that serve customers. The solution was to enclose the food and drink kiosk inside the business, essentially making it its own suite.

The refreshments kiosk offers all local craft beers, ciders and hard seltzers from its eight taps, as well as snacks and nonalcoholic options for people and their pups (yes, dog beer exists). The sister-and-brother team who grew up on Modesto’s west side and graduated from Modesto High wanted to support local breweries by offering draft beer only from establishments within a 25-mile radius.

Members must buy their drinks from the kiosk, but then are welcome to take their beverages with them into the dog park and throughout the space. The drinks help bolster the social atmosphere, as do game nights and other weekly events organized through the park.

The business also has a small retail area in its front lobby featuring dog accessories such as leashes, collars and toys, including merchandise from Modesto-based dog toy manufacturer Goughnuts. On a community-corner wall, local groups, particularly animal groups, can post events and flyers. In the future, the owners also want to use the space to support pop-up events and local organizations and nonprofits.

Since opening a little over two months ago, Bark has signed up about 100 members, Jorgenson said. The growth largely has been organic, through word-of-mouth and members talking about the spot with friends.

That includes members Randall and Angelique Holmes, who bring their two small dogs, Noodle and Teddy, to Bark regularly. The Modesto couple live in an apartment so appreciate the space for their pups to run around. They come at least twice a week.

“I love the fact that it’s indoors and they get to play and socialize,” Angelique Holmes said as she watched her pups romp with a husky and beagle and assorted other four-legged friends.

To keep the space welcoming for man and beasts alike, the park has an elaborate cleaning and ventilation system. That includes being cleaned with active enzyme sanitizers and deodorizers twice a day and pressure washing and vacuuming the turf. The air is kept moving by six industrial 10-foot fans and a new 15-ton commercial HVAC system.

Inside the park areas, a “rufferee” (Get it? Dog referee) keeps things orderly while owners self-regulate by picking up poop and mopping pee as well. The business has five regular employees, and Jorgenson and Day’s parents also pitch in.

Day said they went with a membership model instead of a day-use system to give its members a feeling of ownership of the park and, with that, hopefully a greater sense of responsibility for keeping it clean and nice for everyone. People interested in joining, or with questions, are given a tour of the facility and can test it out for themselves before signing up.

Households with multiple dogs can sign up additional dogs for $15 a month, but an owner can only take two dogs at once to the park (unless another adult is present to supervise the extra animals).

For members like Modesto resident Jonah Johnson, who brings his 2-year-old Aussie-Doodle, Chloe, to the park two or three times a week, the space is also a good way to meet new people and animals.

“This is a perfect place to bring your dog. I trust everyone here and she knows and gets excited to come here,” he said. “When we turn the corner into the parking lot, she gets so happy, like, ‘We’re here! Can I get out?’”

The general public is welcome to check out the retail lobby and can pay to use the dog wash stations in the back of the facility. Members and the public alike can pay $15 to use the tubs, which include all of the shampoos, sprays, towels and dryers.

Now that the Modesto site is up and running, the next step for the siblings is to take their concept national. They hope to expand Bark to other cities, especially in areas with more inclement weather.

But for now, Jorgenson and Day are just thrilled to see the people and their pets enjoying the space together.

“It’s really a nice thing to just finally play with dogs all day, to get to spend the majority of the day in an area like this with dogs who are all having fun,” said Day, who designed the space and serves as its general manager. “It makes all the wait time, running out of products, COVID — it’s all very well worth it. It’s very fun and we’re enjoying ourselves a lot.”

Bark Dog Park & Tap Room, at 1700 McHenry Ave. Suite 61 in Modesto, is open noon to 9 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. For more information visit www.barkdogparks.com.