WagWorld dog resort to soon open bar and event center in 'mecca of welcoming'

For Akasha Nickolas, “it’s all about the pups.”

Nickolas has had careers in vacation sales and real estate, but she said her real passion lies with dogs.

She and her business partner Cathy Lusk have owned a dog grooming studio in the past and are now the owners of WagWorld, a dog resort that will soon also be home to a bar and event center in Fletcher.

“WagWorld is my future, it’s my retirement,” Nickolas said. “WagWorld is becoming me.”

For the resort, no more than 20 dogs are admitted at one time and it is open to dogs that may not be accepted by other establishments because they are dog-aggressive.

“We definitely take our time and work with dogs that need that,” Lusk said. “We’re not worrying about the number of dogs. We’re worrying more about the quality of what you’re giving the dogs.”

The bar and event center has a planned opening date of Sept. 1, but Nickolas said that could change based on construction demands.

Nickolas said the bar will feature a space out front where dogs can regularly be off leash. The dogs will also be able to enter the bar off leash. This portion of the property sits on an acre. On other portions of the property are the dog resort and the home Nickolas lives in with her wife Amanda Nickolas.

For dogs to be able to run free, they must be spayed or neutered and be up to date on all shots. Owners will pay a membership fee that includes access to the area and field managers who will supervise the dogs and even pick up their waste. Membership fees will run on a special during a grand opening event, and yearly, monthly and daily rates will be available.

Nickolas said this is a difference in other similar businesses she has seen in that owners will be able to relax knowing their dogs are being taken care of. Field managers will be trained in how to deal with dog aggression in the case it becomes an issue.

“We want to make sure that we’re on top of it and that people feel safe bringing their dogs here,” Nickolas said.

Some special events will require dogs to be leashed.

The bar and event center will be open seven days a week, opening as early as 8 a.m. or 9 a.m. Live music will tentatively be hosted every Thursday through Sunday and there will be a year-round food truck with rotating food trucks for events.

For the event center, the space will be offered up to weddings, holiday parties and other big events.

Nickolas said it is important to her to give back to the community, especially to organizations that work with animals and LGBTQ+ organizations.

As an LGBTQ+ owned and operated business, WagWorld Bar and Event Center will host “prideful pup” nights as well as drag nights or brunches. Nickolas said she also hopes to support Hendersonville Pride.

“We’re not going to be too in the face because we want everyone to feel welcome here,” Nickolas said. “We want to be open to allowing a place for our community to also come and feel safe. That’s very important to us. … We want to be open to everybody, but we don’t want anyone to feel uncomfortable here.”

Nickolas said the space will also be welcoming to those who do not drink alcohol, with Tuesday nights being a completely alcohol-free night.

To help animals in need, Nickolas said she has plenty of ideas.

The bar and event center will use aluminum instead of glass. When the recycled aluminum is sold, the profits will be donated to humane societies.

WagWorld will also host adoption events.

“I want to give back as much as I can,” Nickolas said. “If I were already a millionaire, I wouldn’t have a dog resort. I’d have a dog rescue.”

Nickolas said WagWorld would not be what it is without the help of her employees, which she calls her “pack.”

She said she has big dreams with WagWorld and she does not want to create any limitations.

“I want to be kind of a mecca of welcoming here,” Nickolas said. “I want WagWorld to be a household name in Western North Carolina and I want everyone to feel welcome here. I want people to come here, to see this place and just see the beauty and feel the energy.”

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Karrigan Monk is the reporter for Black Mountain News and Hendersonville Times-News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kmonk@blackmountainnews.com .

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: WagWorld dog resort to soon open bar and event center in 'mecca of welcoming'