by Jeremy Davis, reporter
The Omaha Dog Bar, a new restaurant, bar and dog park, opened up in early February after being delayed by COVID-19.
Owner of the Omaha Dog Bar, Leah Thrasher, never wanted to leave her dogs at home when she went out to socialize so she created a place where people can bring their furry friends with them.
She started a blog six years ago with her best friend which is an online resource that lets dog owners know which locations are dog friendly. After visiting dog bars in Kansas City and Florida, Thrasher got the idea to bring one to Omaha.
“I’ve learned a lot in the last six years, so I would like to share that knowledge with other individuals who are crazy enough to open up something like this in their communities,” Thrasher said.
A member of the Omaha Dog Bar, Miranda McQuillin, said she looks forward to the warmer months as she is able to bring her dog with her when she goes to hang out with friends.
“A group of my friends got together and bought me and Buddy, my dog who’s a beagle, the membership last year for Christmas ,” McQuillin said. “And, so they should have opened last year and with the pandemic and everything they were, you know they were unable to do so. So, we have just been excitedly waiting to take advantage of our membership. It’s cool and exciting that it’s open now.”
The Omaha Dog Bar was supposed to open last year but during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic but the bank held their funding for the local business, so construction of the Omaha Dog Bar was delayed.
The inside and outside of the Omaha Dog Bar is a completely new building. It took three to four months to complete the construction, but it was put on hold for one year. Thrasher said she almost gave up on the idea but is glad she went ahead with the project.
Now, she has made the indoor and outdoor seating more spaced out to allow safer socializing. The dog bar also has a large garage door that opens up to allow airflow.
“My favorite part is seeing them [the customers] for the first time experiencing the Dog Bar and also just that it’s here you know,” said Thrasher. “Everyday [I’m] looking around and looking at what’s happened and just excited for what the future holds.”
In the future, Thrasher plans to open up more dog bars in the Omaha area.
