A dog park and cold beer are brewing at a new business in Florence.
Lee Cahill has been building his business idea of a taproom and dog park for over a year, and it’s almost ready to open. Originally from Verona, Cahill attended the University of Louisville for his degree in biology. That’s when he was introduced to his first distillery.
He worked in Lousiville brew houses for a few years before moving back home to Northern Kentucky. Cahill spent five years working in finance, most of which he said were enjoyable.
But something changed. He wanted more.
Cahill launched the venture in 2020, and quickly realized that being his own boss meant he was writing the script.
“I expected everything to be easy and streamlined, and I very quickly realized that I had no idea what I was doing,” Cahill said.
As he moved forward with starting his small business, he hired a contractor and architect to transform the garage on Burlington Pike into a welcoming green space and bar. The taproom features high tables with barstools and transparent garage doors that can lift, connecting to the open-air indoor space with the outdoor patio seating.
The bar itself is a wall of local beer on a self-serve tap. Cahill said the taps are card-activated with a preloaded card given by the business, and it’s how guests will be moderated to prevent over-serving.
The vision for BARk Park and Patio developed as Cahill visited similar businesses in the U.S., where he found they had more bar than outdoor space.
“They had such small yards or areas for the dogs,” he said. “If you get 50 people there, plus their dogs, it gets crowded pretty quickly, and with dogs, that’s not a good situation. I knew I wanted something that was more like a park.”
The park portion of the business features 1.5 acres of grass surrounded by a tall wooden privacy fence. The space is also divided into two sides for small dogs and large dogs, all of which are adjacent to the patio and taproom.
Cahill said he stayed with local businesses as much as he could for every stage of the project, from construction and renovation to the mural of the BARk Park and Patio logo inside.
Meanwhile, General Manager Amanda Konrad has been promoting the upcoming business on social media and the anticipation among the Florence community has been building.
A recent post announcing the business would be opening this spring received more than 2,000 comments from excited residents on the Patio’s Facebook page. Konrad said they have been inundated with creative ideas to use the park as an event space for meetings, fundraisers and special dog meetups.
Cahill and Konrad were hoping for “a slower start just so we can get our feet under us first,” but there are already more than 500 people on the email invite list for their grand opening. Cahill said he is planning a soft opening for just friends and family later this month.
Konrad said they have also received a lot of interest from applicants hoping to work there.
BARk Park and Patio will be open to the public and will require guests to sign waivers, and those bringing dogs must have them spayed or neutered. Cahill said the spay/neuter rule is one that he has felt pushback on, but believes its in the best interest of the dogs attending the park. He said it’s a rule he won’t make an exception on, “not even for friends or family.”
BARk Park and Patio will also offer memberships on a monthly or annual basis, though guests bringing their dog can just drop in for the day for a $10 fee.
Konrad said she and Cahill have a working list of ideas for the business to host events, fundraisers and meetings. Cahill said he foresees hosting dog birthday parties and outdoor yoga classes in BARk Park’s future, but the first item of business is opening the doors.
Cahill will host a private opening event later this month with a grand opening to follow.