K9 Garden, a dog park, bar and social venue in St. Louis’ Botanical Heights neighborhood, will close permanently Saturday, Oct. 31, less than a year after opening.
The venue opened Jan. 16, 2026, at 4565 McRee Ave. in the former Bar K space, bringing back the indoor and outdoor off-leash dog park concept alongside a restaurant, bars, live music and private events. The project was developed by local commercial real estate company Seneca CRE, whose team also operates 9 Mile Garden in Affton.
Since opening, K9 Garden has grown to more than 4,600 members and 5,700 registered dogs. But the cost of operating the venue has consistently exceeded its revenue, even with strong community support, according to an Oct. 23 announcement.
“We gave it our best shot, and this community really stepped up,” said Chuck Schoene, director of operations and events at K9 Garden. “Members showed up in numbers this place had never seen before, and we can’t thank them enough. We’re also grateful to a talented, dedicated team. But in the end, the cost of running K9 Garden is simply more than it makes. We’ve done our best, but we can’t keep operating at a loss.”
The closure comes amid broader economic challenges for local hospitality businesses, the announcement said.
K9 Garden will maintain its regular hours through Oct. 31 and honor all scheduled events through its final day. The business will also pay all outstanding vendor accounts in full.
Annual members will receive credit for their remaining prepaid membership time. Members have been notified of the closure and will receive additional information directly from K9 Garden in the coming weeks about accessing and using any prepaid amounts.
