Our store stays open until 5 PM — so why does the Licky Bar close one hour earlier? There’s actually a very good reason.
If you’ve ever visited Doggy Beach House, you know that dogs aren’t just allowed inside — the whole store is made for them.
Every day, dozens of four-legged visitors walk through our doors. They explore the shop, sniff the treats, shake themselves off after a walk on the beach and, of course, stop by our Doggy Bar for their very own Licky.
And we absolutely love it.
But when you welcome that many dogs every single day, there is one thing you can count on:
Everything. Gets. Dirty.
And when we say everything… we mean everything
Running a dog store is probably a little different from running your average shop.
At the end of a busy day, there is dog hair everywhere. There are sandy and wet paw prints, water around the drinking bowls, crumbs from snacks, drool, the occasional little accident — and Licky.
A LOT of Licky.
Our Licky’s are meant to be enjoyed by dogs, and dogs aren’t exactly known for their table manners.
So yes, Licky ends up on the floor. But it also somehow manages to reach the walls. The crates. The rugs around the Doggy Bar. The furniture. The displays.
We have even cleaned Licky off our lampshades.
And when we move things around to clean properly, we regularly discover dog hair, crumbs and dried-up pieces of Licky underneath shelving units, displays and freezers too.
Basically, if you can see it, we clean it.
And if you can’t see it… there’s a pretty good chance we clean that too.
And that is absolutely okay
We don’t say any of this because we mind the mess.
Quite the opposite.
Doggy Beach House was created as a place where dogs are not simply allowed to come inside. They are our actual customers.
We want them to eat their Licky, shake their fur, drink some water, sniff around and enjoy themselves.
If half of a Licky ends up on the floor and the other half somehow ends up on the wall, so be it.
That’s part of Doggy Beach House.
But it also means that keeping our store clean takes a serious amount of work — every single day.
We clean throughout the day too
Of course, we don’t let everything pile up until 4 PM.
Throughout the day, we do smaller clean-ups after dogs have enjoyed their Licky’s. We wipe down the Doggy Bar, clean up spills and crumbs, take care of the area around them and keep everything tidy and hygienic for the next four-legged customer.
With dozens of dogs coming through the store, we’re basically cleaning all day.
But those smaller clean-ups can only do so much.
Because once the Licky Bar closes, it’s time to clean the things you don’t see us cleaning while your dog is enjoying their ice cream.
And that’s where the real work begins.
That’s why the Licky Bar closes at 4 PM
Doggy Beach House itself remains open until 5 PM, but our Licky Bar closes at 4 PM.
At 4 PM, the big daily clean begins.
That’s when we start taking apart and thoroughly cleaning the Doggy Bar and tackling all the places that dogs — and a whole lot of Licky — have left their mark on throughout the day.
And that doesn’t mean quickly mopping the floor.
It means cleaning the bar, floors, rugs, crates, walls, furniture and surfaces. Moving things to clean underneath them. Getting underneath shelving and freezers. Cleaning the lampshades. Removing dog hair from places we didn’t even know dog hair could reach.
Basically, we work our way through the entire store.
All while Doggy Beach House itself stays open until 5 PM, so you’re still very welcome to come in and shop.
Once the doors close for the day, we can finish the remaining areas and make sure everything is fresh, clean and ready to welcome another few dozen dogs the next morning.
Hygiene is what makes our concept possible
We think there is something important behind all of this.
We can only have a store where dozens of dogs are genuinely free to enjoy themselves every day because we are willing to clean up after them every day too.
We never want an owner to feel embarrassed because their dog made a mess, spilled their Licky or had a little accident.
Dogs are dogs.
We’ll clean it.
But maintaining the level of hygiene we want at Doggy Beach House takes time. And starting at 4 PM gives us that time without having to limit how welcome dogs are during the day.
So the Licky Bar closing at 4 PM isn’t because we want to serve fewer Licky’s.
It’s actually the opposite.
It’s what allows us to welcome so many dogs, day after day, and start every new day with a clean Doggy Beach House.
Planning a Licky date?
Our Licky Bar is open daily from 11 AM until 4 PM.
Doggy Beach House itself remains open until 5 PM, so you’re still very welcome to shop after the Licky Bar has closed.
Coming especially for a Licky? Make sure to visit us before 4 PM.
And if you’re enjoying your Licky and some of it ends up on the floor, the wall, the rug… or somehow even the lampshade?
Don’t worry.
Your dog definitely isn’t the first.
We’ll clean it.
Doggy Beach House
A dog store you’ve never seen before!