Good Dog Bar will permanently close its Atlantic City restaurant on Sunday – a little more than one year after it opened.
In a written announcement, owners Heather Gleason and Dave Gary said the closure is due to financial circumstances. The restaurant opened in May 2023 at 3426 Atlantic Ave., near Stockton University's Atlantic City campus and the landmark Knife & Fork Inn.
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"Despite all our tireless efforts and dedication to keeping Good Dog Bar in Atlantic City thriving, the economic challenges we have faced here have become insurmountable," Gleason and Gary wrote.
Several businesses that Gleason and Gary expected to open properties nearby are still waiting for permits. And with the cancellation of the Atlantic City Airshow and no more concerts scheduled for this summer, Gleason and Gary said there aren't enough customers to support the restaurant.
Compared to the narrow, dim Good Dog Bar in Center City – which Gleason and Gary have run for two decades – the Atlantic City location had more space, a lot of sunlight and a large patio. In 2020, a developer had shown Gleason and Gary the space, which formerly housed the Role Play Lounge, but they passed, and it was sold to someone else. But when that deal fell through, they revisited the possibility and chose to open their second Good Dog location there.
Gary and Gleason did not return immediately a request for additional comment on the restaurant's closure.
In their statement, they said they plan to focus on their Philadelphia restaurant, saying it's still a "huge success." Gift certificates for the New Jersey restaurant can be used this week or redeemed in Philadelphia.
"We thank our dedicated staff and the new friends we've made in AC for being part of the Good Dog Bar family," Gleason and Gary wrote. "We hope to see you in Philly."