We Made the List! Wagbar Lands #10 in USA TODAY 10Best Dog Bars
Wagbar Named One of the Best Dog Bars in America by USA TODAY
Key Takeaways
Wagbar's Weaverville, NC location earned the #10 spot on USA TODAY's 2025 10Best Dog Bars list
The award is voted on by a combination of expert travel writers and real readers across the country
Wagbar beat out hundreds of dog-friendly venues nationwide with 25,000 sq ft of off-leash space, craft drinks, and rotating food trucks
The recognition reflects what this community has been building since 2019
We've been saying it for years. Weaverville is home to something pretty special.
Now USA TODAY agrees.
Wagbar's flagship location on Merrimon Avenue just landed the #10 spot on USA TODAY's 2025 10Best Readers' Choice Awards for Best Dog Bars in the country. Out of dog-friendly spots across all 50 states, a panel of travel and lifestyle writers nominated Wagbar, and then readers voted. The result? A national spotlight on what this community has quietly known since we opened our gates.
It feels good. We're not going to pretend otherwise.
What USA TODAY Actually Said About Wagbar
The 10Best write-up put it simply: "Wagbar in Weaverville, North Carolina, offers your pup over 25,000 square feet to play and explore, while the eclectic bar offers an assortment of drinks. In addition to offering a variety of dog treats and gear, this establishment also features a rotating selection of incredible food trucks to satisfy human cravings."
That's the Wagbar experience in a single paragraph. Room for dogs to actually run. A bar where the humans can relax and enjoy something good to drink. Food truck partners who rotate through and keep things interesting. And a community that keeps coming back not just because it's fun, but because it genuinely feels like their place.
The USA TODAY expert panel included travel writers who have visited dog bars across the country. They're not easily impressed. So when they nominated Wagbar, it wasn't a novelty pick. It was recognition that what we've built here is the real thing.
Why This Award Is Different
A lot of awards exist. Most of them don't mean much. This one does.
The USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice format combines two things that are hard to fake: expert judgment and real votes from real people. According to USA TODAY, the 10Best awards process begins with nominations from a panel of relevant experts, then opens to reader voting over several weeks. USA TODAY's 10Best program covers everything from hotels and restaurants to road trips and, yes, dog bars. Getting onto any 10Best list means you're competing nationally, not just locally.
For context, the pet industry in the United States is now worth over $147 billion annually, according to the American Pet Products Association. Dog-friendly venues have multiplied significantly across the country over the last decade. Getting recognized as one of the ten best in that growing field means something.
Wagbar stood out against that field. A small-town venue north of Asheville made it into the top ten in the whole country. That's the community behind us.
25,000 Square Feet Is Just the Beginning
The square footage gets mentioned in every writeup, and for good reason. 25,000 square feet of off-leash space is genuinely uncommon. Most off-leash dog parks are sections of a public park, often overcrowded, often not particularly clean, and almost never with a bar attached.
At Wagbar Weaverville, dogs have ramps, tunnels, a permanent pool, and enough ground to actually sprint and explore, not just circle a fenced patch of dirt. That matters to dogs. Dogs need to move, to interact, to play at full speed. Studies from the American Veterinary Medical Association show that regular off-leash exercise significantly reduces stress behaviors and improves dog socialization over time.
The space also matters to the people who bring them. When your dog is genuinely entertained, you can actually sit down, have a beer, and have a real conversation. That's the whole point.
The Craft Bar Side of Things
Not every dog park in America has a well-stocked bar with a rotating tap selection and a crowd that actually wants to be there. Wagbar does.
The bar at Weaverville isn't an afterthought. It's a full part of the experience, with beer, wine, and non-alcoholic options, plus dog treats and gear for the four-legged side of the equation. The rotating food trucks bring in a range of options that keep regulars from ever getting bored. Some nights you're getting tacos. Some nights it's BBQ. That variety is part of why people make Wagbar a regular stop rather than a one-time visit.
Humans must be 18 or older to enter. Dogs must be at least six months old, spayed or neutered, and current on their rabies, bordetella, and distemper vaccinations. Those rules exist because safety isn't optional at a venue where dogs are interacting off-leash. When every dog in the park is vetted and vaccinated, the environment stays safe for everyone, and that trust is part of what keeps the community coming back.
The Company We're Keeping
The full USA TODAY 10Best dog bars list includes some heavy hitters. Bar K in Kansas City is widely considered one of the most well-known dog bar concepts in the country. Fetch Park has multiple locations across the Southeast. Dogwood Play Park has built a strong following in its market.
Being named alongside those spots confirms that Wagbar belongs in the national conversation about what a great off-leash dog bar looks like. These aren't novelty venues or trendy pop-ups. They're businesses that have figured out how to build genuine communities around dogs and the people who love them. Wagbar fits that description.
According to IBISWorld, the dog park and doggy daycare industry has grown at an average rate of roughly 5.8% annually over the past five years. More dog owners, more urban living, more demand for social spaces where dogs are actually welcome. The concept is growing because the need is real.
From One Location to a National Franchise
Wagbar started in 2019, built from a pretty simple frustration: traditional dog parks weren't that great. Founder Kendal Kulp and his father Kajur designed something better. One location in Weaverville, North Carolina. A lot of trial and error. A genuine community that formed around it.
That original location is now the flagship of a growing Wagbar franchise network that spans states from South Carolina to California. Knoxville just launched. Myrtle Beach, Savannah, Richmond, Dallas, Cincinnati, and other cities have franchisees bringing the same concept to their communities.
Every new location is built on the same foundation as Weaverville: real off-leash space, a good bar, safe environment, and a community-first approach. The pet franchise opportunity exists because the model works, and the USA TODAY recognition helps prove that to prospective franchise partners who are just now discovering what Weaverville has known for years.
What This Means for the Community
This recognition belongs to everyone who has ever walked through those gates on Merrimon Ave.
The regulars who bring their dogs every weekend. The team members who check vaccinations, keep the space clean, and make sure every visit is a good one. The food truck partners who show up and bring something worth eating. The members who treated Wagbar not just as a place to take their dog, but as their social anchor in the community.
USA TODAY gave us a number. The community gave us the reason to deserve it.
Dog ownership in the United States has grown significantly, with the APPA reporting that roughly 65.1 million U.S. households own a dog as of 2023. Finding quality spaces where those dogs can actually socialize, play, and be dogs is still harder than it should be. Wagbar exists to solve that problem, and the fact that a national publication singled out the Weaverville location as one of the ten best in the country says something about how well that problem is being solved here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Award?
The USA TODAY 10Best program recognizes top destinations, experiences, and businesses across travel and lifestyle categories. Expert panels nominate candidates, then reader voting determines the final rankings. Being named to a 10Best list means competing against venues from across the entire country.
Where is the Wagbar location that won the award?
The recognized location is Wagbar Weaverville, located at 320 Merrimon Ave in Weaverville, North Carolina, just north of Asheville. This is Wagbar's original flagship location, open since 2019.
What are the hours at Wagbar Weaverville?
Wagbar Weaverville is open Monday through Friday from 12pm to 8pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 8pm.
Do I need a dog to visit Wagbar?
No. Humans enter free and are welcome with or without a dog. You do need to be 18 or older to enter.
What are the requirements for bringing a dog?
Dogs must be at least six months old, spayed or neutered, and current on rabies, bordetella, and distemper (DHPP) vaccinations. Proof of vaccination is required at entry.
How big is the off-leash space at Wagbar Weaverville?
The play area is over 25,000 square feet and includes ramps, tunnels, a permanent pool, play structures, and shaded areas for both dogs and their owners.
Is Wagbar expanding to other cities?
Yes. Wagbar has franchise locations in development across the country, including Knoxville, TN; Myrtle Beach, SC; Savannah, GA; Dallas, TX; Los Angeles, CA; Richmond, VA; Cincinnati, OH; and several other markets. You can check all Wagbar locations to see what's coming to your area.
Can I franchise a Wagbar?
Wagbar is actively growing its franchise network. If you're interested in bringing an off-leash dog bar to your community, you can learn more on the Wagbar franchising page.
Come see what USA TODAY was talking about. The dogs already know. Now the rest of the country does too.
Visit Wagbar Weaverville or explore all Wagbar locations near you.
Meta Description: Wagbar's Weaverville, NC location earned the #10 spot on USA TODAY's 2025 10Best Dog Bars list. Here's what the award means, what made Wagbar stand out, and what's coming next.
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