After all Bar K locations suddenly closed at the end of July, many dog owners were left wondering where they could take their furry friends for a fun outing, and likely didn’t expect good news about the space to come so soon.
Now, the cat (dog?) is out of the bag as The Rail Apartments, together with the owners of the adjacent 4565 McRee Ave., are in talks to open a new, locally owned and operated hospitality concept to take over the former Bar K location. While the deal is not quite finalized, the reimagined venue will combine a full-service sports bar with an upgraded menu, a pet retail shop, and an array of pet services and activities, creating what the developers describe as a “pet emporium” unlike anything else in St. Louis.
Chuck Schoene, director of operations and events for Seneca CRE, said the team has been quietly preparing for some time. “We’ve been working on it for a while,” he explained. “We are working on the name currently, trying to figure out what’s the best name to call the place so we can pay homage to Bar K while giving it a new brand and image.”
The closure itself wasn’t something they saw coming. “We did not know it was closing, that took us by surprise, but as soon as that happened, the owners of Green Street reached out to talk to the owners of my company and asked if we’d be interested,” Schoene said.
Although Seneca CRE has no formal ties to The Rail or Green Street, Schoene brings 30 years of hospitality experience to the project. “Seneca CRE runs 9 Mile Garden, an outdoor/indoor event center. Basically, the best way to explain it is that Bar K is the equivalent of 9 Mile Garden but for pets. We want to have markets, events and movie nights, just appealing to pet owners.”
The menu will also get a refresh, though details are still in flux. “We’re currently looking at doing an upgrade on the entire space, cleaning and repairing and bringing it back to what it looked like when it opened,” Schoene said. “We’re also looking at opening for breakfast, and upgrading lunch and dinner menus, plus potentially opening a café as well.”
The new team will work closely with Green Street and The Rail to finalize details such as operating hours, and are also exploring ways to honor existing Bar K members. “We’re looking at a couple things, whether it be a discounted membership or honor a length of time for the people who didn’t get to use their full membership before it closed,” Schoene said.
Social media channels have not yet launched as the name of the concept has not yet been confirmed, and an exact opening date hasn’t been set either, but Schoene said updates will be announced soon. “We’re going to reimagine Bar K to be the premier destination to dog owners in the community: a full-service dog park with continued partnership with Kennelwood, which offers grooming, day camp and training services,” he said.
The Rail will continue offering a free initial membership to the new facility for all new tenants, while adding its own expanded on-site pet amenities such as a larger dog park with new play obstacles, upgraded grooming facilities and regular complimentary pet events. An opening date and grand opening celebration details will be announced in the coming weeks.
This article appears in August 2025.