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Unleashed Hounds and Hops, the first off-leash dog-friendly bar and restaurant is in the works, set to open sometime in December or January near the Minneapolis Farmers Market. The space with both indoor and outdoor seating will serve up a menu featuring items for both its two-legged and four-legged guests as well as a couple of dishes designed to be shared between the two, like a bacon flight.
The people menu will include staples like local sausages and sandwiches while the pup dishes will center around rice bowls. “We’re looking to work with local vendors as much as possible,” says Dawn Uremovich, a co-founder of the project along with her son and one of his friends. “We’ll also have a number of permanent beers available and tap takeovers,” she says.
In order to meet health codes, the restaurant will be kept separate from the other parts of the establishment. However, once guests receive their order, they’re welcome to take grub anywhere in the eatery they’d like. Four-legged guests will have to meet typical vaccination and age standards, but Uremovich is considering hosting events specifically for puppies and perhaps some for senior dogs who are looking for a more chill environment. Unleashed will require passes and the team is in the process of setting day pass rates as well as monthly and yearly membership structures.
Worried about how your dog will do in such a unique setting or not sure how where you’ll stash your dog when you have to enter the restaurant portion to get your food? The Unleashed team has thought of that.
“We’re also going to employ ‘ruffarees.’ If you want to get a drink of food, we’ll have employees who will be trained any a dog trainer to keep an eye on dogs and help with behavior modifications,” Uremovich says. There will also be an acclimation area where guests can slowly introduce their dogs to the new environment.
For those who can’t wait to see Unleashed come to life, keep your eyes peeled for the fundraising campaign that Uremovich and co are planning on launching later this month.
