A longstanding policy allowing canine companions at Park Slope's The Gate has been suddenly revoked, kicking local pooches to the curb. The bar posted a sign on its door this week stating that they'll no longer be allowing dogs, citing the DOH's strict policy regarding animals in food service establishments, reports Park Slope Stoop. Looks like you'll be forced to lap up those lagers at home, pooches.
It'd be easy to place all the blame on strict Health Department inspectors, but according to DNAinfo, the agency was only summoned to the bar because of a 311 complaint. A call placed to the city hotline on Tuesday night tipped off inspectors that dogs were present in the space, prompting the visit. 311: Only Works When You Don't Want It To. "Unfortunately, The Gate had chosen to ignore the Health Code’s rules that prohibit animals in restaurants, until an inspector observed a dog in the facility on October 21, 2014," the DOH told us in a statement.
In addition to announcing the ban, the bar also took the DOH's policy to task, questioning why a place that doesn't serve food should be subjected to the same regulations as a traditional restaurant. The poetic posting calls the rules "unfair," insinuating that places serving only drinks should be given special permission to allow animals should they so choose. The note concludes with a special tagline: "The Gate: Not endangering human health since 1997." For what it's worth, The Gate received an A rating from the DOH at their last inspection in January.
Despite the threat of fines, there are still some bars that open their doggie doors to pets—and not just special service animals. One owner of a popular Brooklyn bar has told us that he's simply factored the regular fines for allowing dogs into the cost of doing business. The Gate's owner has a hearing scheduled for November 18th, where he'll learn the dollar amount of the Fido fine.
