Royal Bark Social Club offers safe, fun environment for man’s best friend
When Alisa Hamby started dreaming of Royal Bark Social Club, she never imagined it would be the best decision of her life. “I was deeply inspired by Jack, my golden retriever,” she says. “He was my best friend.” As many dogs are to their owners, Jack was Alisa’s everything. From major life wins to heartbreaks and changes, dogs are always there to show unconditional love.
Working in pharmaceutical sales for 18 years, Hamby dreamed of a place where dogs could play safely and have fun. “For seven years, this was just a thought,” she says. “I kept thinking about it more and more every day, and I eventually took the leap and did it.”
Royal Bark Social Club opened its doors in July 2018 in East Knoxville. The concept was simple: to provide a place that was safe, clean and fun. During its first few months, RBSC offered its guests free daycare while they worked out the kinks that all businesses experience. “The amount of love and support at that time was so amazing,” Hamby recalls. “We couldn’t have done it without our members and the staff.”
RBSC employed pre-vet students through the University of Tennessee and other regional colleges for hands-on experience. After outgrowing the East Knoxville location, the business made the move to its current location at 208 W. Baxter Ave. in August 2019.
To educate herself on canine care, Hamby attended conferences and classes to learn more about dog behavior and safety, earning several certifications in the process. The rooms at RBSC are organized according to the size and personality of the dogs. “All of our attendants are trained to look for certain behaviors and body language,” Hamby says. “If a dog seems bored in one room, we will move them to another to play with others. Every dog has a different personality; to see them light up while playing is a day-maker for our staff.”
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020, RBSC was one of the few places that wasn’t required to shut down. The business limited its numbers to 15 dogs per day and saw an uptick in ‘pandemic puppies.’ “We were very fortunate to have a steady stream of business during that time,” says Hamby of a period that was extremely trying for many local businesses.
RBSC offers a handful of elite services: curbside pick-up/drop-off; unleashed play; grooming services; daily ‘report card’ videos and photos; and their own luxury rooms for overnight boarding. With an average of 50 dogs per day, Hamby and her staff stay very busy.
RBSC is aiming to expand into more social events in 2022, for both dogs and their owners. It is in the middle of planning an Easter event to fundraise for Chain Free Knox, a local nonprofit that helps provide fencing for pet owners who cannot afford one. In the past, the business partnered with Merchants of Beer for their annual Santa-Paws event at Christmas.
“I like to say, ‘This is the house that Jack built,’” Hamby says. “And we are continuing his legacy every day.”
