Oh, the Weather Outside Is Frightful; an Indoor Dog Park Would Be Delightful

 ⛄❄️December Updates from the Zoomies Pack 🎄🎁

This holiday season has been absolutely stuffed to the brim with goodies for Zoomies and if our progress could fit in a stocking, it'd probably break the mantle.

December brought wins that have been in the works for months (or years, depending on who's counting), and now we're snowplowing our way into the new year!

We Love Our City Officials ⚖️

It started off with the liquor moratorium being formally lifted by the city's licensing committee. Our partner at the alderwoman's office was confident it would be passed with her office's support, but we still popped some champagne when we heard "the ayes have it." Another hurdle cleared.

Heck yeah!

Now we're applying for our liquor license along with all the other required business licenses, of which there are quite a few. We have a meeting with the heads of several city departments next week. This is the second time we'll be talking with this group. The first time was back in February, and it was pleasantly encouraging. They acknowledged that the city has historically made it difficult for people to bring this concept to life, and they voiced a desire to be more accommodating this time around. How awesome is that??

We took all their feedback from that first call and incorporated it into our designs so we're feeling confident heading into this next meeting.

Next up: we finished all our architectural and engineering plans and submitted them to the city for building permits. Multiple departments will review them and provide feedback. We've had a positive experience with the city team so far, which is promising, but permitting is its own beast.

Realistically, this phase can take anywhere from 2-6 months. We're obviously hoping to be faster end of that, but we're also prepared for the process to unfold as it needs to.

Sprucing Up the Place 🌲

We shared our floor plans in the last update, so this time around I thought it might be fun to talk a little bit about our vision for the interior design. As you may have already seen from photos, the building has a LOT of classic Chicago character, which we absolutely love and want to lean into. The raw brick, exposed beams, awesome giant steel doors – it’s all staying.

The vibe we’re going for is retro industrial meets urban oasis. Yes, I made up both of those terms, but picture this: old factory style—concrete floors, glazed block walls, glass block windows—paired with mosaic tile, organic shapes, and warm, punchy pops of color that nod to a slightly retro sensibility.

Then soften all of that with hanging plants and tons of greenery cascading throughout the space, plenty of natural light, and sturdy materials that bring warmth and life into the room. The result is gritty but alive, functional yet funky. Our goal is to make the space feel warm and hip without trying too hard. Or at least without seeming like we're trying too hard.

Another topic probably worth touching on: odor and sound mitigation. Several folks have made (quite amusing) comments online about how they can "already smell Zoomies from here” and how it’s gonna be nonstop bark-fest. Rest assured, we have thought looooong and hard about these things. NO ONE wants to have a drink in a place that smells or sounds like a zoo. Obviously.

Here's how we’re handling it: more than half of our buildout budget is going to infrastructure (HVAC, plumbing, electrical). We're investing in high-grade air handling solutions, flooring and materials specifically chosen for durability and easy cleaning, and we've hired a specialist to design acoustic solutions for optimal sound dampening.

Bottom line is we want this to be a place where YOU, not just your dog, want to spend time.

We Went Viral 🦠

Perhaps the biggest gift of this holiday season was the mega response we received from the dog parents of Chicago. Holy sh*t you guys – we never dreamed that our lil’ update videos would garner this much attention. Over 60k collective likes, 30k shares, 7k new fans. There's something slightly terrifying about that kind of visibility, but WOW is it good for our cause.

Big thanks to Ariel Parrella and Block Club Chicago for featuring our story and as well as the teams at Fox 32 and NBC 5 (below) for having us down to the stations. It has been an incredible honor and a surreal experience.

We feel an immense amount of pride for our city, and more than ever, we feel the responsibility to deliver on what we've promised.

Along with all the love, we've gotten an overwhelming number of inquiries about joining the Zoomies team. We are over the moon about the interest, and, if you've reached out and haven't heard back from us yet, we're also genuinely sorry for leaving you on read. We've literally received hundreds of messages, and our inbox is full in the best way possible. Rest assured, we're saving your info and we'll be in touch a few months before launch when we start posting actual roles. Stay tuned!

OPEN HOUSE! Come See Our New Digs 🕳️🐕

We're hosting an open house on Saturday, January 10th from 11am to 2pm in the future home of Zoomies at 3455 N. Elston Ave. The space is raw right now—but you'll get to explore the actual building and imagine what's coming.

We'll have a tour walking through the intended layout so you can get a sense of how it'll flow. Refreshments will be available, and we're planning to have a few local vendors come showcase their work. There'll also be a raffle with some fun prizes.

Please RSVP here: LINK TO EVENT.

Important Note: we haven't dog-proofed the space yet, so please leave your four-legged friends at home for now. But bring yourself—we'd love to see you there.

New Website - And Early Bird Offers - Coming Soon! 🐦

Our new and improved website is launching soon with early bird membership options. Whether you're the type who likes to dip a toe in with a discounted monthly pass or you're ready for a lifetime membership with all the bells and whistles, there's something for everyone.

If it feels a little early for early bird memberships, allow us to explain: early membership purchases help us show momentum as we finish our fundraising, which matters more than you might think. And if it gives you any comfort, you can request a refund anytime before we open if you need to, no questions asked. But...we're betting you won't want to!

Huge thanks to all of you for following along on this journey. Every day we get one step closer to launch, and your support is massively important to us. We are so excited for everything that comes next.

Happy Holidays!