Hell’s Kitchen abounds with pandemic pups — and from late summer they’ll have a new place to meet their pals while their owners enjoy breakfast, dinner, brunch, lunch, cocktails and even a nightcap. Upper East Side doggy dining favorite Barking Dog is coming to World Wide Plaza.
Last night, the restaurant’s owners passed the first hurdle to getting their pooch-friendly venue open, with the approval of Manhattan Community Board 4’s Business Licenses and Permit Committee.
Barking Dog has taken over the space used by MTHR Burger in World Wide Plaza. But no need to zoomie there just yet — the eatery now awaits approval of a full liquor license by the MCB4 Executive Board on July 28, followed by the New York State Liquor Authority stamp. The restaurant is expected to open in September.
Barking Dog at World Wide Plaza will have an outside seating area where your pooch can interact with other furry friends while you enjoy tasty cafe-style fare. There are plans for outdoor seating, with 15 tables and 60 seats.
At the committee last night, the owners applied for their new kennel to be open from 8am-1am, 7 days a week, saying: “We can serve not only the community but the theater when they get out and the actors and workers from the theater.” They describe Barking Dog as “beautiful for everyone of all ages looking for a quiet, friendly place to eat and maybe have a cocktail.”
Barking Dog was started in 1992 on the corner of 3rd Avenue and E94th Street by an emigrant who arrived from Europe without any experience or plans to open a restaurant. Their website says: “His mission was simple — create a place where people and their dogs would feel like home.”
They are famous for their brunch menu — where the lines stretch around the corner.
Now, 30 years on in their canine-themed luncheonette, they say: “Even Fido can tag along for family brunch. Although pups aren’t allowed inside, they can munch on doggie treats and wait for a tasty morsel of human food to drop from your family’s patio table.”
Dogs are not allowed inside, only outside just like every other NYC restaurant so not sure what’s special about Barking Dog.