In an email to customers last night, Bulldog Baths Dog Resort (132 Turk St.) announced that it will shut its doors for good this Friday, August 14th, only nine months after it opened.
"Like every new, small business, we've faced many challenges since opening last December," operations manager Lindsay Greene said in the email. "At this time, the unfortunate reality is that despite how much we love being the home away from home for your dog, Bulldog Baths Dog Resort has not grown as quickly as we had hoped, and no longer makes economic sense."
As we reported this spring, Bulldog Baths owner David Nale purchased the building 10 years ago, upon learning of its history as a gay bathhouse from the 1930s to early 1980s. At the time of its closure, the bathhouse was named Bulldog Baths, and Nale kept the name to honor its legacy.
In a phone call this morning, Nale said that his dog daycare and boarding service has garnered a small customer base of regulars in the past nine months, but growth completely stalled about three or four months ago. With 24/7 staffing needed to care for clients' canines, it was too expensive to keep Bulldog Baths afloat. Nale added that other doggie daycares around the city are overflowing, so "it's something about us," possibly the location or marketing.
David Nale, Lindsay Greene, and Nale's dog Nila at the resort’s rooftop dog run.
Eager to do something productive and economical with the building's first floor, Nale is planning to convert the rooms that were previously dedicated to dogs into tranquil, rentable workspaces. The other dog-friendly amenities, like the turf-covered roof desk and dog wash, will remain, and clients will be more than welcome to bring their dogs with them. The changeover will take just a few months and require very few employees, so if it doesn't work, it's not a big deal, Nale said.
As for Bulldog Baths' existing clients, Greene's email says that those with long-term agreements will be contacted directly to settle their accounts. Customers are also encouraged to ask the Baths' employees about their availability to personally fill in in the short-term.
In lieu of their services, Bulldog Baths recommends Mr. Muggles and Hound Lounge in the Mission, K9 Playtime in SoMa, and High Tail Hotel near Silver Terrace. Wag Hotel in the Mission is offering former Bulldog Baths clients a free 10-day package of All Day Play day care.
We'll share more on the new workspaces taking over Bulldog Baths' location when they launch.
