Bone Appétit!

Ever wanted to grab a brew with some buds, but didn’t want to leave man’s best friend behind? Brittanie O’Dell’s Bark ‘n Brews has got your tail covered. After opening up her highly successful professional pet care and boarding business “Paw Pals”, O’Dell’s wheels got to turning. She had hosted a Bark ‘n Brews community pop-up event for members of Paw Pals, and had received an overwhelmingly positive response. Following a global pandemic and several nudges from her husband, O’Dell decided to take the leap and make her dream into a reality. On May 30th, Bark ‘n Brews will be celebrating that reality with a grand opening, welcoming all furry friends and their owners to kick back, relax, and enjoy a well-deserved treat. 

Bark ‘n Brews is designed to be a year round concept, with a small dog yard and large dog yard, as well as the option to be outside or inside. There will be heat in the winter and fans in the summer, maintaining temperature control for two legged and four legged patrons. While only service dogs are allowed in the bar area, alcohol can be delivered to the tables and chairs in the dog park. When your food is ready, a notification is sent to your phone and requires only a quick trip to the bar. While there, make sure you check out the custom tables made by O’Dell’s husband Jason.

Keeping it local is important to O’Dell, with all of the beers and ciders being from Red Barn Cidery, Menagerie Brewery, and Round Table Brewery. As of now, the wines come from the Finger Lakes and O’Dell says she plans to maintain a New York heavy wine list.

To go along with your drink of choice is a vast variety of food. With dishes like The Canine Caprese, Al Paw-stor Tacos, and Fetchin’ Fresh Ahi, you’re sure to be wagging your tail. O’Dell gushed about her chef, who is able to not only bring his six years of West Coast experience to his taco expertise, but has been able to tackle a pet peeve (pun intended) of O’Dell’s with paninis. “He gets a perfect crunch on the outside, but keeps it moist on the inside,” shared O’Dell. 

On the back of the menu, there are more than a few “tail-waggin’ treats” for the fur babies. Get Fido their own Barkcutterie, Peanut Butter Pup Taco, or even Frozen Yogurt Paw Bites to enjoy on a sunny day – hopefully one of those comes around before fall!

Now for the brass tacks – safety. As much as we love our furry family members, they are still animals interacting with other animals. O’Dell has got any safety worries under lock and paw. 

Monitoring the dog park are the Bark ‘n Brews crew, most of which have joined from the Paw Pals daycare and boarding crew. It was important to O’Dell to implement staff who understand not just exemplary service, but also how to speak “dog-language”, identify behaviors and maintain safety for all. “We’re just going to have really honest, transparent conversations,” said O’Dell in regards to speaking with dog owners whose pups might be exhibiting non-ideal behaviors.  

If you’ve got a more shy or dog-selective pup, that doesn’t mean you need to miss out on the fun – O’Dell has a spot for you, too! Up front, there are tables and chairs with anchors on the wall to attach your dog’s leash to. This set up allows dogs to dip their paw into the social pool without diving into the deep end. O’Dell emphasized the importance of socializing dogs in steps, stating that by bringing dogs to Bark ‘n Brews, pawents are  “…creating that socialization for your dog… [the dogs] are growing trust outside of their home.”

Every pup must also be pre-registered and have their dog’s vaccination records uploaded by their owner. This insures not only social health, but physical health. 

The core of all of O’Dell’s operations is her team. “My team is top notch,” said O’Dell. “They understand the responsibilities of what we’re doing. They all want to learn and grow… they just love what they do.”

On May 30th, O’Dell and her team of family and staff will be hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony and grand opening at 4:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at the Bark ‘n Brews location at 35 Smith Street in Nanuet. There will be free park admission, music by DJ Mr. 845 Entertainments, food and drink specials, and exclusive membership discounts. All you need to do is sign up your pup at www.barknbrews.com, show up with a hungry belly, some Friday energy, and a readiness to cheer on another Rockland local creating community and business in our favorite county.