news.cenet.topPopular Kansas City dog bar files for Chapter 7 bankruptcy after closure

Desmond Milligan · August 6

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — After announcing that its Berkeley Riverfront location would be closing in late July, Bar K has now filed for bankruptcy.

On July 29, Bar K closed three locations in Kansas City, St. Louis and Oklahoma City. Shortly after, on Aug. 4, a petition for Chapter 7 bankruptcy was filed for the KC and STL locations. Chapter 7 bankruptcy refers to liquidation as opposed to reorganization.

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Also on July 29, the landlord of Bar K’s St. Louis location alleged that the property owed more than $200,000 in rent and demanded payment within 10 days. Bar K failed to do so before filing for bankruptcy. A similar situation happened in 2024, when the STL location was accused of owing nearly $300,000 in back rent.

“We faced the same severe economic challenges as the rest of the hospitality industry, including inflationary costs and expenses, an extremely difficult labor market, and sharply reduced consumer spending,” the company said in a news release last month, regarding its closure.

Bar K also shared that the Kansas City location in particular was affected by recent large-scale construction projects along the riverfront.

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After opening in 2018, Bar K opened in Kansas City, with the STL location arriving in 2021 and the Oklahoma City location in 2023. In 2024, the bar was voted the number one dog bar in the United States by USA Today and earned the number nine spot in 2025.

Bar K and its related entities include Stay! At Bar K, with estimated liabilities ranging from $500,000 to $1 million – and Bear Bishop, with liabilities ranging from $100,000 to $500,000.

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