Have you ever wanted to go out for a drink, but looked into those sweet, sad, puppy-dog eyes and decided to stay home with your pup instead?
Now, you don’t ever have to choose between hanging out with your dog and going out with friends. Skiptown, a brand new facility with a “dog bar” and park, is now open in Denver.
The state-of-the-art venue is located in York Street Yards in the River North district at 3833 Steele Street. It’s massive, spanning some 50,000 square feet, and it includes a variety of pet-friendly spaces and amenities.
The company opened its first location in Charlotte, North Carolina. Denver is the brand’s second location, with a third to follow in Atlanta that’s slated to open later this year.
For Skiptown, the Mile High City was a natural first step in its national expansion plans.
“Denver loves their dogs and there’s a need for additional safe, off-leash environments for pups to play,” says Meggie Williams, the founder and chief executive officer of Skiptown. “We couldn’t be more excited to bring the Skiptown experience to Denver’s dog-loving community.”
The story behind Skiptown dates back to 2016, when Williams and her husband began looking for someone to walk their two dogs, Stinson and Khumbu. It was difficult to find everything they were looking for in a dog walker or pet care service, so they decided to create their own.
Skiptown started as a one-person dog walking business and has since grown to more than 90 dog walkers—called “Skippers”—as well as brick-and-mortar facilities. The company’s motto? It’s not just dog-friendly, it’s dog-focused.
At the new Skiptown location in Denver, you’ll find an expansive off-leash dog park with turf, a splash pad, shady areas and lots of seating for humans. (There are also Skippers on-hand to help pick up poop and keep the area clean.)
Beyond that, you can also book pet care services like daycare with enrichment, overnight boarding in luxury suites, full-service grooming and in-house training. Skiptown has an easy-to-use mobile app for booking, too. If you book your dog into boarding or daycare, you’ll receive detailed reports from each visit, including photos of your pup.
But the pièce de résistance is the bar, which serves coffee and alcoholic beverages for guests to enjoy while their dogs play in the 20,000-square-foot outdoor space. Skiptown offers espresso drinks, specialty lattes and cold brew in partnership with Queen City.
If you’re feeling something a bit stronger, you can order beer, wine and cocktails, including more than 20 beers on tap from local breweries like Ratio Beerworks and Second Dawn Brewing. Cocktails include drinks like “The Bourbon One,” made with Tincup bourbon, blackberries, mint, simple syrup, lime juice and club soda, and the “Fur-osé,” made with rosé, Tito’s Vodka, strawberry puree and lemon juice.
There are also non-alcoholic options like kombucha, lavender lemonade and sodas. And for your beloved four-legged friend, there’s even bone broth dog beer—now how about that for inclusivity?
A rotating selection of food trucks will also be on site, in case you get hungry but your pup still wants to keep playing.
If you’re interested in checking out Skiptown, you’ll need to buy a day pass or sign up for one of the membership options, which include unlimited bar and park access, discounts on pet care services, and invites to exclusive events. (If you’re coming without your dog, you don’t need to buy a pass.)
A day pass is $15 for one dog, plus another $5 for each additional dog you bring. Memberships for access to pet care services are $30 a month for the first dog (plus an additional $8 for each extra dog) or $225 per year (plus an additional $40 for each extra dog). If you just want to hang out at the dog park and bar, those memberships are $45 per month for the first dog (plus another $10 per additional dog) or $360 per year (plus $65 per additional dog). There are also VIP memberships for $60 a month or $450 per year, which gets you extra perks.
For those who are pet-curious, Skiptown plans to host monthly adoption days in partnership with local rescues.
“We are dog-focused in everything we do,” says Williams. “From the irrigation lines under the turf that clean and cool our outdoor park to the way we best fit-match our pet care pups into playgroups based on personality, size and play style, Skiptown exists to elevate the pet care experience, making it easier for you and your dog to live your best lives. Our Denver location is a true reflection of our vision. The Skiptown magic brings joy to every dog and human who walks through our door.”
Bar, park and pet care services are available 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
