John McManus, left, told city officials that safety and abiding by the law would be top priorities at The Barking Dog.
A new restaurant and bar planning to open where Thirsty Turtle was once located won the support of College Park City Council last night, just about three months after Turtle was forced to shut down, following a knifing and allegations that the bar routinely served underage patrons.
John McManus, owner of The Barking Dog, an establishment in Bethesda, will go before the Prince George’s County Board of License Commissioners next week in hopes of obtaining a liquor license for the eatery he plans to open downtown, which will likely take the same name as his other location. Last night’s 6-1 vote in his favor from the city council will be presented to county officials along with a written agreement McManus presented last night.
Because serving alcohol to underage patrons was an issue with the property’s previous tenant — Turtle’s license was revoked after two underage police aides were allowed entry and served drinks without having to present false IDs — the council stressed preventing underage drinking in The Barking Dog as an important part of their support.
McManus said he has never received an alcohol or noise violation and plans to uphold that reputation in College Park. This and his desire to create a new staple for the community, he said, should speak to his intention to abide by the law.
“I think it has to do with the way you operate your business,” McManus said. “I’m in it for the long haul. I suspect there’s a lot of people who have blazed through here, saying, ‘I’m going to make a quick buck.'”
The Barking Dog will adhere to a stringent security system, according to the agreement presented at last night’s city council meeting, including the use of ID scanners, 24-hour surveillance cameras and security guards during peak hours. This plan will be reviewed by Prince George’s County Police and University Police, according to the agreement.
The document also stipulates a sales ratio of 50 percent food to 50 percent alcohol, and although the restaurant will be permitted to serve pitchers, they will not be sold for less than $9 each.
McManus said although he believes residents will enjoy the atmosphere of the bar as much as students, his desire to expand the Bethesda-based Barking Dog to College Park stemmed from the sizable student base.
“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out there’s 40,000 students within a stone’s throw,” he said. “It’s a tremendous business opportunity. The same reason Chipotle wanted to come here, that’s why I wanted to come here.”
He added that the property’s structural integrity made it particularly appealing as a venue for his business.
“It’s in very good shape inside,” McManus said. “Structurally, it’s in excellent condition. … There’s virtually nothing to do other than primarily cosmetic work.”
One of his main goals for The Barking Dog is to bring in a variety of live music, McManus said, adding that Turtle did not take advantage of the venue’s space, which would have allowed it to feature live entertainment. The Turtle property remains one of the largest commercial locations, per square foot, in the city.
District 4 Councilman Marcus Afzali said during the meeting that he hopes the new restaurant will be able to succeed in spite of previous tenants’ failure.
“I’m really excited. I hope [The Barking Dog] does well,” he said. “It’s such a difficult property, unfortunately, in terms of how big it is.”
If he receives the liquor license next week, McManus said he plans to have the downstairs portion of the restaurant operating by May, with the upstairs space following a few months later.
kirkwood at umdbk dot com
