ENFIELD — Married couple Anne Chapin and Marshall Banks are seeking a special exception from the Enfield Zoning Board of Adjustment at Tuesday’s meeting for a restaurant with an indoor dog park that they’re seeking to open in town.
The business would operate out of the building located at 330 US Route 4, which is owned by Mickey and Darcy Dowd. The property has been vacant since Gusanoz Mexican Restaurant closed last December.
Chapin and Banks first got inspiration for the business four years ago when their daughter took them to a bar with an indoor dog park while they were visiting her in North Carolina.
(Photo from Anne Chapin) – Courtesy.
The Lebanon couple have “always wanted to open a bar,” Chapin said in a recent interview. “But we didn’t want to open any old bar because everybody can,” she added.
She noted that people often have to choose between going out for the evening and staying home to watch their pets, and Bark & Bevy would eliminate that decision.
“Having this opportunity to open the bar and have people come in with their whole family, it feels right,” she said.
The pair plan to operate Bark & Bevy’s bar upstairs, while the dog park would be on the ground floor of the building, which sits on a .58 acre lot, Chapin said.
Patrons would order their food at the bar, then head downstairs to eat and watch their dogs play from tables set up on the periphery of the park.
No food would be permitted inside the park, and owners would be asked show proof that their dog has been vaccinated before entering.
The park, which Chapin estimates could hold 15 dogs, would include ramps and tunnels for the dogs to explore, but no toys in order to limit their aggression.
For the menu, the pair plans to keep things simple with offerings such as hot dogs, baked potatoes and nachos.
The bar would be staffed by five employees as well as Chapin and Marshall. Chapin said they hope to hire a manager to help take care of day-to-day operations.
The business venture represents a career pivot for Chapin, who has 30 years of experience in banking.
Banks, meanwhile, works in maintenance at Mount Ascutney Hospital and Health Center in Windsor, a job he plans to keep after the pair opens the business.
Bark & Bevy would join Enfield eateries Kitchen 56, on Main Street, and Hoptimystic Brewing, which was scheduled to open Aug. 9.
“It would be nice to see something that comes to Enfield that stays,” Tammy Giguere, the manager of the Enfield Jake’s Market and Deli, said in an interview at the store.
Enfield currently has several dog-friendly spaces including the Shaker Field Dog Park on Route 4A and the Northern Rail Trail.
“Enfield really is a dog town,” Rob Taylor, Enfield’s land use and community development administrator, said.
To open the dog park in the restaurant, the pair need a special exception to the zoning ordinance for the Community Business District that would allow kennel use within the property.
The zoning ordinance defines kennel use as “anything to do with dogs,” Taylor said.
In determining whether to grant the special exception, the board will consider factors such as how the dogs will be contained within the property and how the park might impact neighboring businesses and residents in terms of noise disturbances and other disruptions.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Chapin and Banks will be asked to present their plan for the dog park for approval. The meeting is an also opportunity for nearby businesses and residents to voice their questions and concerns.
If the Zoning Board approves the business for kennel use, the next step will be to get site plan approval from the Planning Board.
The Zoning Board meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Public Works Facility Meeting Room at 74 Lockehaven Road. The meeting also will be available to view remotely via a Teams link, which is available on the town’s website at enfieldnh.gov.
