Belmont business owner Jay Pithwa wants to create a one-stop shop of fun for the dog-lovers of north Belmont with the Thirsty Dog bar.
Pithwa and his fiancé Jen Colangelo opened the Thirsty Dog bar, located at 508 Woodlawn St., in December 2020.
“We opened a bar during the worst times outside of Prohibition, but we love seeing people enjoying themselves here,” said Pithwa, who also owns Tastebuds Popcorn in downtown Belmont.
Prohibition refers to the period of time between Jan. 16, 2020, and Dec. 5, 1933, that prohibited the manufacture, sale or transportation of alcoholic liquors in the United States.
The Thirsty Dog offers free-roaming and leash-required play areas for pets, craft beer and cocktail drinks, special events nights and more.
Annual membership for the bar is $75 for the initial cost and $25 every year to renew. The daily fees are $1 for humans and $6 for dogs.
Pets must be spayed/neutered and up-to-date on vaccinations before entering.
Children can come to the Thirsty Dog, but they must be accompanied by an adult and remain in the on-leash area.
Customers can also play board games, drink $5 spiked hot chocolate drinks, put photos of their pets on the bar’s dog wall and join wine and beer clubs.
“I want people to see that there’s more than alcohol and dogs here,” said Pithwa. “I want to help rebrand north Belmont with all the extra space that we have here.”
The 26,000 square-foot bar already includes a full bar, 12,000 square-foot outdoor dining area and 5,000 square-foot indoor dining area.
The entire building has an additional 20,000 square feet available that Pithwa wants to reserve for projects to revitalize the north Belmont area.
Giving life to north Belmont
Future projects include adding volleyball courts, an one-acre entertainment space and a backyard patio kitchen operated by The Bottle Tree restaurant of downtown Belmont.
Pithwa wants the entertainment space to include murals painted by local artists, a music stage, hammocks, picnic tables, fire pits and more.
Dogs will also be able to roam freely throughout the backyard area.
“I would love for local artists to participate and create a vibe here similar to scenery we’ve seen in the NoDa area in Charlotte,” said Pithwa.
He partnered with The Bottle Tree on the idea to create a kitchen for the restaurant right outside of the gates of the bar’s backyard patio.
The kitchen will operate as the official food supplier for the bar where customers can enjoy food options such as Korean fried chicken and pumpkin dumplings.
The volleyball courts will be operated by the Charlotte-based adult sports organizer Sportslink.
Pithwa hopes to host adult sports league games, macaroni and cheese festivals, cook-offs and more on the courts through Sportslink.
“I want there to be grooming and boarding places and maybe a distillery in the empty spaces of the building,” said Pithwa. “I want people to get everything they need when they come here.”
Pithwa, originally from Hayes in west London, views the bar and its future projects as a catalyst for more traffic to downtown Belmont and downtown Mount Holly.
Pithwa and Colangelo expect the kitchen to be finished by January and the volleyball courts and entertainment space to be completed by the spring.
Reach Janiya Winchester at 704-869-1842 or jwinchester@gannett.com
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