- December 4, 2025
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A new canine-friendly establishment has tails wagging in downtown Sarasota.
Dog Bar Sarasota had a soft opening earlier this month in the Rosemary District, where Boo’s Ice House & Dog Bar used to be. A grand opening is planned for July 19.
Dog Bar Sarasota is the sister location to Dog Bar St. Pete, which opened in 2016.
Stephanie Marble and Fred Metzler are the duo behind both dog bars, which provide places for people to dine and dogs to play.
“What we’re really hoping to do is see the growth that we saw naturally in St. Pete,” Marble says in a July 17 phone interview with the Business Observer.
Over its nearly 10 years in business, Dog Bar St. Pete has collected regulars. Among them were the owners of Boo’s Ice House & Dog Bar, who visited St. Pete on the weekends, according to Marble, so she and Metzler knew them.
The first year for Boo’s was similar to the Dog Bar St. Pete, Marble says, but the 2024 hurricanes provided a “strain” that the Sarasota business “didn’t have the elasticity older businesses do to navigate.” When Boo’s closed in January after less than two years, the owners cited the need for capital once the hurricanes led to a slowdown in sales.
Marble says she received an email about leasing the space in Sarasota from the owners of Boo’s, and all parties determined it would be a good fit.
“Number one, there’s nothing like it in the vicinity,” Marble says, as a factor in what makes Sarasota the right location for the business.
A dog bar creates what Marble calls a “third place” for residents in the area.
“It’s basically a place besides home or work where you have an opportunity to build community and meet people,” Marble says, like a bowling league or a church.
“Dog bars are an amazing opportunity for that because when you walk into a dog bar, all the socialization happens so quickly because we love our dogs so much that it’s easy to strike up a conversation," Marble says. "Over the years in St. Pete, we’ve seen a lot of connections — families get started because they went on a date to the Dog Bar. It’s definitely a place where people meet and connect and create community.”
Marble and Metzler, who are engaged and have four dogs, say the four-legged visitors have their own community as well.
“Our dogs are the ones that create that loyalty to the place,” Marble says. “We’ve seen a lot of repeat visitors and a great community that the dogs build. I think this area is ready for that.”
She notes that condos being built around Dog Bar Sarasota also creates demand; those residents will not have yards where their dogs can play, which is an “amenity we can offer,” Marble says.
Located at 1314 10th St., Dog Bar Sarasota provides 6,500 square feet of indoor and outdoor space for dogs to play off-leash. Outside, there is a bone-shaped splash pool, while the business also features a 1,500- square-foot climate-controlled indoor yard.
To enter, dogs must be nonaggressive; have proof of rabies and parvo/distemper vaccination; and be spayed or neutered if over 1 year of age or have a rabies shot if 4 months-plus. Day passes are $7 for dogs, with membership options at various rates, such as $30 per month or $200 a year. Owners can register their dogs online before going.
For human patrons, Dog Bar Sarasota offers a rotating lineup of draft beers, frozen drinks and cocktails, along with a menu featuring shareables like mozzarella sticks and truffle fries; flatbreads; pizzas; burgers and tacos; salads; sandwiches; main courses including bacon-wrapped shrimp skewers, crab cakes and seared ahi tuna; and bowls with chicken penne and sesame chicken.There are also house-made treats for dogs, such as quiche, Marble says.
Hours are 4 to 10 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; 4 to 11 p.m. Friday; 12 to 11 p.m. Saturday; and 12 to 10 p.m. Sunday. Dog Bar Sarasota will be closed Monday.
A grand opening celebration is planned from 2 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 19, complete with a doggy foam party and pet vendor showcase.
The response during the soft opening period has been overwhelmingly positive, according to Metzler.
“I don’t think we’ve ever heard more thank yous in our life,” he says. “We’re highly encouraged that the regulars will come back, and we hope to create new regulars.”
Adds Metzler: “Sustainability is key. We need those same people coming back on a Tuesday and the following Thursday over the long-term.”
