Find a Wagbar Near You: Off-Leash Dog Park Bars Across the U.S.
Top TLDR: Wagbar off-leash dog park bars combine a fully fenced, supervised play area for dogs with a licensed bar for their people, with active locations in Weaverville, NC and Knoxville, TN and franchise locations in development across the U.S. Human entry is always free; dogs need proof of Rabies, Bordetella, and Distemper vaccinations. Visit the locations page to find your nearest Wagbar or sign up for updates on your market.
Wagbar started with a straightforward idea: give dogs a real off-leash run and give their people somewhere worth sitting for a couple of hours. No drop-off. No watching from behind a fence. Just cold drinks, good company, and your dog doing what dogs were built to do.
That idea took root in Weaverville, North Carolina in 2019, and it's been spreading ever since. Today, Wagbar locations are either open or in development from the Carolinas to California. This page is your guide to every location — what's open, what's coming, how entry works, and how to get involved if your city doesn't have one yet.
What Happens at a Wagbar
Before getting into where each location is, here's what to expect when you show up. Every Wagbar follows the same core model: a fully fenced, supervised off-leash play area runs alongside a licensed bar serving craft beer, wine, cider, hard seltzer, and non-alcoholic options. Food trucks rotate through most locations, and outside food is always welcome.
Human entry is always free for guests 18 and older. You don't need to bring a dog. Dogs require a day pass or membership and must show proof of current Rabies, Bordetella, and Distemper vaccinations. Dogs should be at least six months old and spayed or neutered. All breeds and sizes are welcome, and trained staff are on site to keep play safe and friendly.
The play area and bar sit close enough together that you're watching your dog run while you sit with a drink, not separated from what's happening by distance or a wall of glass. Staff circulate through the dog areas throughout operating hours and are trained to read group play dynamics and step in when something needs to break up.
Events vary by location but typically include live music, themed nights, breed meetups, trivia, and seasonal celebrations. Private event space is available at select locations for parties and corporate gatherings. The social calendar is part of what makes regular visitors come back more than once a week.
If you want the full breakdown of what to bring and what to expect from your first visit, the beginner's guide to playing with your dog at Wagbar covers it step by step.
Active Locations Open Now
Weaverville, North Carolina (Flagship)
Wagbar's original location sits in Weaverville, just north of Asheville in the Blue Ridge Mountains. This is where the concept was built from the ground up in 2019, and it's the model every new location is based on.
The Weaverville location features spacious outdoor play areas, a container bar serving an extensive local and regional beer selection, rotating food trucks, and a full calendar of events including live music, trivia nights, open mic sessions, breed-specific meetups, and seasonal celebrations. It's been voted Best Pet Friendly Bar/Brewery at the Best of WNC Mountain Express awards multiple years running and landed on USA Today's 10Best Dog Bars list.
The venue runs on a container bar system that keeps setup clean and the bar experience focused. Seating is spread across the outdoor space so people stay close to where the dogs are running. Regular visitors describe the atmosphere as genuinely relaxed in a way that's hard to manufacture. It works because the concept actually does what it promises: dogs play, owners unwind, and the two things happen at the same time in the same space.
Asheville itself draws a crowd that's already predisposed to love Wagbar. The city has a well-established craft beer culture, a strong outdoor recreation identity, and a community that consistently supports local and independent businesses. Wagbar fits that context naturally. If you're visiting the Asheville area, this location is worth building a day around. The off-leash dog bar concept page explains the full experience in more detail, and the FAQ answers most practical questions before you go.
Location: Weaverville, NC Page: wagbar.com/weaverville
Knoxville, Tennessee
Wagbar's Knoxville location is the brand's second fully operational site, opening at the former Creekside Knox property. The space gets a full conversion into Wagbar's format: secured off-leash play, bar service featuring draft beer, craft brews, seltzers, wine, and non-alcoholic drinks, outdoor seating for people and dogs, and rotating food trucks.
Knoxville is a strong market for this concept. The city has a dense, passionate dog-owner population, an outdoor recreation culture that maps well onto Wagbar's atmosphere, and a community-first social scene that fits the model naturally. University of Tennessee alumni culture and the city's growing young professional population both skew heavily toward pet ownership and experience-based socializing.
Franchisees Liz and Shelby, a mother-daughter team, are bringing the concept to Knoxville through their connection to the former Creekside Knox location. Their familiarity with the existing venue and the Knoxville community gives the location a head start in terms of local relationships and neighborhood roots.
Events and membership details are being announced through the location's page as the opening timeline takes shape. If you're in the Knoxville area, the location page is the best place to stay current on what's coming.
Location: Knoxville, TN Page: wagbar.com/knox
Locations in Development
The following Wagbar locations are currently in development. Opening timelines are being finalized at each site. If you're near one of these markets, keep an eye on the individual location pages for updates.
Southeast
Charlotte, North Carolina Franchisees Brandi and Denise are bringing Wagbar to Charlotte. The city's rapid population growth, strong pet ownership rates, and active outdoor culture make it a natural fit. Charlotte is one of the fastest-growing metros in the Southeast, and demand for off-leash dog experiences in the area has been clear for some time.
Page: wagbar.com/charlotte-nc
South Asheville, North Carolina A second North Carolina location is in development for South Asheville, expanding Wagbar's home market and serving the southern part of the greater Asheville area.
Page: wagbar.com/south-asheville-nc
Cary, North Carolina The Research Triangle market gets its own Wagbar location in Cary, serving the Raleigh-Durham corridor. Cary is consistently ranked among the best small cities in the U.S. and has a highly educated, pet-forward population.
Page: wagbar.com/wagbar-cary-nc
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Franchisees Matt, Taylor, and their dog Mickey are bringing Wagbar to The Market Common in Myrtle Beach. The Grand Strand has a year-round resident population that's grown substantially over the past decade, and the beach community culture aligns with the social, outdoor-forward Wagbar experience.
Page: wagbar.com/mytle-beach-sc
Greenville, South Carolina Greenville has one of the most active downtown cores in the Southeast and a dog-owning population that consistently punches above its weight for a city its size. A Wagbar location is in development for this market.
Page: wagbar.com/savannah-ga
Savannah, Georgia Savannah rounds out the Southeast cluster with a market that has very strong tourism overlap with the dog-owner demographic. The city's existing culture around outdoor bars and walkable social spaces makes Wagbar a natural addition.
Page: wagbar.com/savannah-ga
Orlando, Florida Orlando's Wagbar location is in development, targeting a metro that has seen consistent population growth and sits near strong suburban pet-ownership corridors.
Page: wagbar.com/orlando-fl
Mid-Atlantic
Richmond, Virginia AJ Sanborn is bringing Wagbar to the Richmond area after spending 20 years in financial services before making the move into franchise ownership. Richmond has a thriving craft beer scene, active dog parks, and a tight-knit community culture that fits Wagbar's model well. AJ and his fiancée share their home with their dog Bibi, and the Richmond location will be shaped by someone who genuinely lives the audience it serves.
Page: wagbar.com/richmond
Frederick, Maryland Frederick is in development, targeting a Mid-Atlantic market with strong suburban growth, proximity to multiple major metros, and a pet ownership rate that supports the concept.
Page: wagbar.com/frederick-md
Midwest
Cincinnati, Ohio Wagbar's first Midwest location is in development in Cincinnati. The city's revitalized urban core and strong community identity around local businesses and outdoor spaces make it a good fit for the brand.
Page: wagbar.com/cincinnati-oh
Southwest
Phoenix, Arizona Dianna is opening Wagbar Phoenix after years in IT sales and with a restaurant industry background. She came to Wagbar looking for a business that combined her experience working with people with her love of dogs, and Phoenix gives her a market with enormous scale. The city has one of the highest dog ownership rates in the Sun Belt and the year-round outdoor lifestyle to support it.
Page: wagbar.com/phoenix
Dallas, Texas Wagbar's Dallas location is in development, targeting the DFW metro with a concept that maps well onto the city's outdoor entertainment culture and dense suburban dog-owner population.
Page: wagbar.com/wagbar-dallas-tx
West Coast
Los Angeles, California Jennifer is opening a Wagbar in the Los Angeles area after a long corporate career and a lifelong connection to animals. L.A. has one of the deepest concentrations of dog owners in the country, a premium social lifestyle market, and a strong appetite for experience-based venues. Jennifer grew up in the area and is building something she genuinely wanted to exist there.
Page: wagbar.com/los-angeles-ca
Long Beach, California A second Southern California location is in development in Long Beach, extending Wagbar's West Coast presence into a market with its own strong community identity and active pet culture.
Page: wagbar.com/long-beach-ca
Day Passes and Memberships
Every location uses the same basic access structure: human entry is always free, and dogs pay per visit or through a membership plan.
Day passes are available at the gate and get your dog into the park for a single visit. You'll need to bring proof of current Rabies, Bordetella, and Distemper vaccinations every time you visit on a day pass.
Memberships are for dogs and cover ongoing access. The options typically include monthly, annual, and 10-visit punch pass formats, and all of them eliminate the need to bring vaccine documentation after your first visit. Over time, a membership also costs less per visit than individual day passes.
The membership page has current pricing and options for each active location. You can sign up directly through the individual location pages as well.
Dogs of all breeds and sizes are welcome. The only requirements are the vaccination proof, a minimum age of six months, and spay/neuter status. Staff are trained in dog behavior and group play dynamics and monitor the play areas throughout operating hours.
What to Know Before Your First Visit
A few practical things to keep in mind before you show up:
Hours vary by location and season. Wagbar aims to be open seven days a week, but holiday schedules and maintenance days affect each location differently. Check the individual location page for current hours before you go.
Outside food is allowed. Each location has rotating food trucks, but you're welcome to bring your own food in as well. Wagbar serves a range of drinks including beer, wine, cider, hard seltzer, and non-alcoholic options.
Staff are active participants, not just monitors. If something happens between dogs, trained staff step in. The dog park safety and behavior guide covers what the team watches for and how to read your own dog's signals in a group setting.
You can visit without a dog. All human guests 18 and older are welcome whether they bring a dog or not. Wagbar has a consistent social crowd that includes dog lovers who don't currently have a dog of their own.
Private events are available at select locations. Some Wagbar locations offer bookable event space for parties, corporate outings, and other gatherings. Contact the specific location directly for details.
First-time visitors should come early in a session. Dog energy tends to be highest at opening and settles as the day progresses. If your dog is newer to group play environments, arriving when the crowd is smaller can make the first visit easier on both of you.
If you want to make sure your dog is genuinely ready for an off-leash group play environment before your visit, the off-leash training checklist is a practical guide that walks through the behavioral markers worth confirming ahead of time.
No Wagbar in Your City Yet?
If your market isn't on this list, it's worth knowing that Wagbar is actively expanding. The franchise model is built for people who want to bring this kind of venue to their own communities, not just open another bar. Every franchisee currently in development came to Wagbar because the concept didn't exist where they lived and they wanted to change that.
The total investment range runs from $470,300 to $1,145,900, with a $50,000 franchise fee. Royalties are 6% of adjusted gross sales, with a 1% contribution to the Wagbar marketing fund. Franchisees who commit to three or more units receive a 50% discount on the franchise fee for the additional locations.
Wagbar provides site selection support, a full training program at the Asheville headquarters, on-site grand opening support, and ongoing operational and marketing assistance. The training process is multi-phase: pre-opening preparation through the proprietary Opener app, an intensive hands-on week in Asheville covering dog behavior management, bar operations, staff training, and marketing, and then on-site support through the grand opening itself. After opening, franchisees receive quarterly business reviews, continued marketing support, and access to the broader Wagbar franchisee network.
The locations in development represent markets Wagbar has already vetted and matched to available franchisees. If you're in a market not currently listed, Wagbar evaluates new cities on a rolling basis based on pet ownership demographics, available real estate, and market fit.
The franchising page has the full overview and a contact form for serious inquiries. If you want to understand what to look for before committing to this type of investment, the investment guide for off-leash dog bar franchises covers the key questions worth asking about any franchise in this space.
This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell a franchise. Full details are provided through the Franchise Disclosure Document. Contact franchising@wagbar.com or call 828-554-1021 for more information.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Wagbar currently open?
Wagbar has active locations in Weaverville, North Carolina (the original flagship near Asheville) and Knoxville, Tennessee. Additional locations are in development across more than a dozen U.S. markets.
Do I need to be a member to visit Wagbar?
No. Day passes are available at any active location. Memberships offer ongoing access for dogs and save money compared to individual day passes, but they're not required. Human entry is always free.
What vaccinations does my dog need to enter?
Dogs need current proof of Rabies, Bordetella, and Distemper vaccinations. They should also be at least six months old and spayed or neutered. Members only need to show vaccine documentation on their first visit.
Can I visit Wagbar without a dog?
Yes. All human guests 18 and older are welcome regardless of whether they bring a dog. Wagbar is a social venue, and a good portion of the regular crowd at most locations visits dog-free.
What drinks does Wagbar serve?
Each location serves craft and domestic beer (draft and canned), wine, cider, hard seltzer, and non-alcoholic beverages. Specific selections vary by location.
How do I find out when a new Wagbar location is opening near me?
Follow the individual location pages at wagbar.com/our-locations for updates. Opening timelines and pre-opening announcements are shared there first.
Can I franchise a Wagbar in a city not currently listed?
Possibly. Wagbar evaluates new markets on an ongoing basis. The franchising page is the starting point for any market inquiry. Wagbar looks for locations with strong pet ownership demographics, vibrant social scenes, and access to adequate outdoor space.
Summary
Bottom TLDR
Wagbar off-leash dog park bars are open in Weaverville, NC and Knoxville, TN, with franchise locations in development across more than a dozen markets from Charlotte and Richmond to Los Angeles and Phoenix. Dogs enter on a day pass or membership and need proof of vaccinations; human entry is always free for guests 18 and older. Check the Locations page at wagbar.com/our-locations to find your nearest Wagbar or inquire about bringing one to your city.
