The Barking Dog
Dark and deserted for more than a year now, The Barking Dog looks poised to stay that way, despite College Park’s efforts to find a new tenant and students’ wishes for a new establishment.
“Places up and down Route 1 where there’s empty space, we want to move as quickly as we can to have them filled and having activity,” city Mayor Andy Fellows said. “Something like The Barking Dog, which is part of a well-traveled area. … Residents, and those used to having a place there, do miss those sites and are curious about the next thing coming.”
Though the bar officially closed in November 2013, the city has had no luck getting another tenant to take over the space.
City economic development coordinator Michael Stiefvater pointed to the building’s size as the primary reason for the difficulty.
“The Barking Dog is a unique building,” Stiefvater said. “At 15,000 square feet, it’s difficult to find someone to take over that kind of spot.”
Most restaurants require only a third of that space, he said.
“We need something that would provide entertainment value,” he said. “It’s just too large for a restaurant.”
The Barking Dog replaced The Thirsty Turtle in 2011, maintaining a history of drinking establishments at the location. Though the Thirsty Turtle was popular among students for its almost three years in business, its allegedly lax drinking-age enforcement and a stabbing involving underage students inside the bar resulted in the loss of its liquor license.
Curiosity over the empty space is swirling among some students. Junior communication major Meaghan Pfeiffer said some of her friends hope to see another bar opened there.
“Everyone’s kind of asking if anything’s going to take its place,” Pfeiffer said. “It kind of sucks that we only have three bars; people wish we had four [in downtown College Park].”
However, Lauren Abbott, a sophomore enrolled in letters and sciences, said another bar along Route 1 is unnecessary.
“A lot of people [complain] about only having three bars [downtown], but I don’t think another bar would be that smart,” Abbott said. “Not that many people go out, and there’s already three bars.”
Joshua Peyta, an employee at nearby Potbelly Sandwich Shop, said another bar in the city could attract more business to local establishments.
“If a new bar were to open, we would have people go there, get drinks, get hungry and come here or to other stores, which is great for business,” Peyta said. “It would bring business to everybody — not just the bar.”
But Fellows said the city is hoping for a different kind of vendor, like Busboys and Poets located in nearby Hyattsville. Serving coffee and food and drink among towering bookshelves, the restaurant markets itself on its website as “a community gathering place.”
“Long-term residents want more of a diversity of restaurants and retail available, and that’s part of the revitalization,” Fellows said. “If you think of places like Busboys and Poets, and Politics and Prose, they’re really amazing bookstores that also serve as a community space, even though it’s a place of business.”
