Bark Social
Bark Social operates hybrid dog park and bar/restaurant venues offering supervised off-leash play, grooming, daycare, and boarding for urban and suburban dog owners in Maryland and Virginia, supported by membership subscriptions and ancillary pet-care services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Bark Social does
Bark Social, founded in 2019, operates a hybrid pet-care and hospitality concept that combines a supervised, climate-controlled, off-leash dog park with a bar and restaurant serving coffee, craft beer, wine, and food for human guests. The company's core product is a "dog bar / social club" where dogs socialize in gated, temperament-screened environments monitored by trained staff called Bark Rangers, while owners relax on-site or use ancillary services. The model targets urban and suburban dog owners in markets where fenced yards and reliable supervised play options are scarce, particularly busy professionals, new dog owners in critical socialization windows, and owners of high-energy social breeds.
The underlying operational infrastructure includes climate-controlled indoor play areas, tiered boarding accommodations (suites, runs, crates) selected by dog size and temperament, one-on-one grooming rooms, and an online member portal that handles dog registration, vaccination record uploads, and service booking. Proprietary operational protocols include the Bark Rangers temperament evaluation system for new dogs and individualized daycare tracks for dogs needing customized attention. The technology is conventional retail and facility-management software rather than a differentiated platform.
Bark Social generates revenue through seven streams: annual and monthly club memberships (first dog $385/year or $45/month; second dog $195/year or $23/month), in-person day passes ($12-15), Baltimore day camp at half/full-day rates ($23-50), Columbia hourly day camp ($10/hour members), overnight boarding ($60/night plus add-ons), professional grooming ($35-250+ by size and service), on-site food and beverage sales, and private event hosting. Go-to-market is community-led: the company relies on word-of-mouth, social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn), an educational blog, and events, layered over a direct-to-consumer retail footprint. The company operates two owned locations in Maryland (Baltimore Canton and Columbia) and has expanded to five total locations via the November 2023 acquisition of Barkhaus in Alexandria, Virginia, with plans for further U.S. expansion. Total disclosed funding is approximately $22 million across seven rounds from 2020 through 2024.
Bark Social firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bark Social
- Legal name
- Bark Social
- Website
- https://barksocial.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Bark Social operates hybrid dog park and bar/restaurant venues offering supervised off-leash play, grooming, daycare, and boarding for urban and suburban dog owners in Maryland and Virginia, supported by membership subscriptions and ancillary pet-care services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Bark Social industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Pet Social Club / Pet Care Services
- NAICS
- Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (81291)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cage-Free / Open-Play Dog Daycare (HSANAFAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Dog Daycare with Boarding Add-On (Daycare + Overnight) (HSANAFAM), Luxury / Premium Dog Daycare (HSANAFAI), Overnight Kennel Boarding (Dogs) (HSANADAA)
Keywords
Where Bark Social is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Bark Social business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Membership Subscriptions: Annual and monthly club memberships providing unlimited dog park access. First dog annual membership at $385/year, second dog at $195/year. Monthly options at $45 and $23 respectively. Memberships include perks such as retail discounts and reduced event pricing.
- Day Passes: Single-visit day passes available only in-person at $12 (weekday) and $15 (weekend) for first dog, $6/$7 for second dog. Provides one-day access to a single location.
- Day Camp: Structured daycare services with full-day and half-day options. Baltimore location offers member day passes at $45/day or discounted multi-day packages. Columbia uses hourly model at $10/hour (members). Individualized daycare for dogs requiring extra attention available at $65/day.
- Overnight Boarding: Dog slumber parties with supervised play, meals, and overnight accommodations. Standard rate $60/night with add-ons for training sessions, medication administration, and premium food.
- Grooming Services: Professional grooming including Basic Spa Bath ($40-$120+), Face/Feet/Sanitary Trim ($65-$170+), Full Groom & Spa ($100-$250+), and E.N.T. Bundle ($35). Pricing varies by dog size and coat type.
- Food and Beverage Sales: On-site bar and restaurant serving coffee, breakfast items, craft beer, wine, cocktails, and lunch/dinner options. Dog treats including doggy ice cream and pupsicles available. Humans enter free (except special ticketed events).
- Private Events: Private party hosting for dog birthdays, corporate events, work happy hours, fundraisers, and human birthdays. Hosts can cover day pass costs for guests and pre-order food.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Club Membership - First Dog |
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly Club Membership - First Dog |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Club Membership - Second Dog |
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly Club Membership - Second Dog |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Day Pass - Weekday |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Day Pass - Weekend |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Baltimore Day Camp - Members |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Baltimore Day Camp - Non-Members |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Columbia Day Camp - Members |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Columbia Day Camp - Non-Members |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Overnight Boarding |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Basic Spa & Bath |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Face, Feet & Sanitary Trim |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Full Groom & Spa |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | E.N.T. Bundle |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individualized Daycare |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Bark Social product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bark Social operates a dog-friendly social club combining a clean, monitored, and gated indoor off-leash dog park with a bar and restaurant serving humans. The core offering is the dog park/bar experience, supplemented by annual and monthly memberships (e.g., $385/year or $45/month) and single-day passes, plus ancillary pet care services including day camp (daycare), overnight boarding, professional grooming, and private event hosting at company-owned retail locations in Maryland.
Product overview
Bark Social is a dog-friendly social club combining a clean, monitored, gated dog park with a bar and restaurant experience. The core offering is the Dog Park/Dog Bar, supplemented by membership programs (annual/monthly) and day passes. Additional services include Day Camp (daycare) at Baltimore and Columbia locations, overnight Boarding at Baltimore, professional Grooming Services at both locations, and Private Events hosting. The company operates out of two primary locations (Baltimore and Columbia, Maryland) with plans for U.S. expansion following the 2023 acquisition of Barkhaus in Alexandria, Virginia.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Dog Park / Dog Bar Clean, monitored, and gated indoor off-leash dog park that serves coffee and breakfast in the morning and beer, wine, cocktails, and food in the afternoon and evening, plus dog treats such as doggy ice cream and pupsicles.
- Club Membership
Quantifiable outcome
- Over $1,500 in annual member perks from retail store and premium partners
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Bark Social
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Bark Social technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Bark Social partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- BarkhauscoreBark Social acquired Barkhaus, a dog bar in Alexandria, Virginia, in November 2023. This acquisition expanded Bark Social's presence to five locations and is part of their strategic expansion plans across the U.S.
- Good Dog TrainingminorGood Dog Training offers training sessions as an add-on service for Bark Social boarding guests at $50 per 1-hour session, providing integrated pet care services.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Bark Social competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Central Bark: Central Bark is a franchise network offering dog daycare, boarding, grooming, and training. Comparable to Bark Social's daycare/boarding offerings with overlapping target market of dog owners seeking supervised play.
- PetSuites of America: PetSuites operates multi-service pet care resorts offering daycare, boarding, and grooming. Overlaps with Bark Social's stay-and-play verticals but is more traditional pet care without the social/food component.
- Camp Bow Wow: Camp Bow Wow is a national franchise focused on dog daycare and boarding. Comparable to Bark Social's daycare/boarding vertical but does not offer the human social/dog bar component.
- Dogtopia: Dogtopia is a large franchise network of dog daycare, boarding, and spa facilities. Overlaps with Bark Social's daycare, boarding, and grooming offerings but lacks the bar/restaurant and human social component.
Direct peers
- Bar K Dog Bar: Bar K is a dog bar/restaurant concept combining an off-leash dog park with full bar and food service. It is the most direct competitor to Bark Social's core dog bar/park hybrid model, targeting similar urban dog owner demographics.
- The Dog Bar: The Dog Bar operates dog park and bar venues in multiple cities with membership and day-pass models. Directly comparable to Bark Social in combining off-leash dog play, food/beverage service, and membership-based access.
Others
- Bark-haus (legacy, post-acquisition): Barkhaus was a dog bar in Alexandria, VA acquired by Bark Social in November 2023. The pre-acquisition Barkhaus concept was a direct peer operating the dog bar model; included here as a historical benchmark for the acquired business.
Emerging players
- Zoom Room Dog Training: Zoom Room offers indoor dog training venues with socialization events and group classes. Shares Bark Social's indoor social venue concept and target dog owner demographic, though focused on training rather than daycare.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Bark Social social profiles
Digital presenceBark Social financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bark Social leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Bark Social funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds7 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bark Social M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Bark Social
What does Bark Social do?
Bark Social operates a dog-friendly social club combining a clean, monitored, and gated indoor off-leash dog park with a bar and restaurant serving humans. The core offering is the dog park/bar experience, supplemented by annual and monthly memberships (e.g., $385/year or $45/month) and single-day passes, plus ancillary pet care services including day camp (daycare), overnight boarding, professional grooming, and private event hosting at company-owned retail locations in Maryland.
Is Bark Social a public or private company?
Bark Social is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Bark Social founded?
Bark Social was founded in 2019. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Bark Social based?
Bark Social is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Bark Social make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Membership Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are day Passes, day Camp, overnight Boarding, grooming Services, food and Beverage Sales and private Events.
Who are Bark Social's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Central Bark, PetSuites of America, Camp Bow Wow and Dogtopia. Direct peers are Bar K Dog Bar and The Dog Bar. Bark-haus (legacy, post-acquisition) is listed as an others. Zoom Room Dog Training is listed as an emerging player.
Does Bark Social have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bark Social.
What industry is Bark Social in?
Bark Social's product category is Pet Social Club / Pet Care Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSANAFAC, Cage-Free / Open-Play Dog Daycare, with a secondary code of HSANAFAM, Dog Daycare with Boarding Add-On (Daycare + Overnight). Its NAICS code is 81291 and its SIC code is 7990.