A beer for you, a park for your dog. This Macon bar is fun for dogs and humans alike

A Macon park and bar offers the best of both worlds for dogs and their people.

Tucker, 14, loves the outdoors, running and playing. So imagine his surprise when his person, Kate Barnes, created a space for him and his friends — and their people too.

In 2021, Barnes opened Barks N Brews, an off-leash dog park and bar that offers over an acre of fenced-in, partially turfed, space for dogs to run and play without the restrictions of a leash.

But Barks N Brews isn’t your ordinary dog park. Your four-legged friend can play while you enjoy a beer or a glass of wine while participating in some dog-centered activities.

The offbeat park offers a rotating selection of draft beer, wine, ciders, seltzers and non-alcoholic drinks, and has occasional food trucks and live music.

Each month it hosts events such as breed meetups, community Doga, dog costume contests, local rescue days, holiday celebrations, and more to keep bringing pups and their people back for more off-leash fun.

Barnes said she grew up in Macon and loved to take her dog for walks, but she felt there was a need for something more.

“Having lived in Macon my entire life, I saw a need for a space like Barks N Brews where people can bring their dogs to play off-leash while also being able to enjoy themselves with a beverage, music, shade, and more in a clean and safe environment,” she said. “I have had my lab now for 14 years and while I have always enjoyed taking him for walks around many of our dog friendly places in town, giving him time to play off-leash at Barks N Brews, a place created for and catered to pups, has been a pretty joyful thing to witness.”

Barnes said her passion behind opening Barks N Brews was, of course, her dogs.

“I’ve had dogs as members of my family my whole life. That’s really where my passion for this business began,” she said. “I wanted to see a business that could join pups and people together in a safe and happy environment.”

Barnes said Barks N Brews gives the community a clean, safe and well-managed space for pups to exercise and socialize. But it’s also a place where anyone can come with or without a dog and feel welcome.

“The relationships that have been formed between dog owners, and their dogs, have been a truly special and rare thing to witness,” she said. “Our tagline since opening has been #MaconDogsHappy and that’s what we feel like we are doing at Barks N Brews.”

The business model itself is unique to Middle Georgia, according to Barnes.

“Of course there are several dog-friendly businesses around town, but nothing that caters to your pup quite like we do,” she said.

In addition to giving space for dogs to run and play, Barks N Brews is also passionate about giving back to the community.

The park works with several rescues in and around Macon, including its monthly adoption events with Pawsome Southern Rescue. The business also does monthly Doga, yoga with your dog, which benefits the All About Animals rescue.

“We have also done some collaborative work with Habitat 4 Hounds and Bibb County Animal Shelter,” Barnes said.

Barks N Brews offers day passes, month passes and memberships for dogs. People get in for free.

The park employs attendants and “ruffarees” who monitor dog behavior and ensure everyone is abiding by park rules and regulations.

The memberships are per-dog in a household and they are good for one year. The biggest membership perk is Member Only Monday access to the park.

The park also offers special drink discounts, like “Wine Wednesday,” giving $3 off wines to members. Members also get $5 draft beers on “Thirsty Thursday.”

“When we have special events we also offer discounted prices to members,” Barnes said.

Barnes said the reception to the unique park since opening has been tremendous.

“We have been blown away by the support we’ve received from the community since opening. I would say it has surpassed anything we had in mind,” she said. “We have seen so much growth since our opening in 2021 and made several improvements to the park each year.”

“We will continue offering exciting events that make Barks N Brews a one-of-a-kind business in Middle Georgia where you can bring your pup to run and play at the happiest place on turf,” Barnes added.

Barks N Brews is located at 695 Riverside Drive. It’s open Tuesday through Friday from 4 to 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 8 p.m. It’s open to members only on Mondays from 4 to 8 p.m.