Walking into the Barking Goose, you are greeted by a brewery-esque low lit atmosphere with a bar top, bar taps and tables spread throughout the room. Directly to the left of the room you enter into a low-lit library with couches and various seating. A library comprised of books from various authors and genres, all available for purchase. Patrons have the option to drink from the tap and enjoy a good read. With the beer, you can enjoy several meals or if beer is not needed at the moment, you can enjoy other drinks such as coffee while you enjoy a good read.

Sadly for owners, Jenifer Flynn and Lani Ricozzi, Dec. 23 marks the final day of business, laughter and enjoyment for The Barking Goose located on 16 North Plank Road in Newburgh.
“I don’t think it still feels real yet,” Ricozzi said. “Huge thank you for keeping us going as long as we did. We’ve met a lot of really amazing people.”

The Barking Goose has maintained its stay on North Plank Road for the last three years. The inspiration for the space came from the concept of another bar bookstore called Rough Draft located in Kingston, New York that the couple were visiting.

A major factor for the closure, according to Flynn, was that the three year lease was going to end and the renewal terms were not favorable. Rather than take a crucial financial risk, Flynn and Ricozzi came to the conclusion to close the shop down.

During the course of the pandemic, Barking Goose discounted their food and beverage to help with costs and expenses. Flynn spoke about regular customers who continued to support Barking Goose by ordering constantly from them whether it be food or books. Book clubs and trivia that Barking Goose would typically host in-person transferred to the Zoom platform. Last December, the family had contracted COVID and so the store had to shut down for several weeks and without a GoFundMe page set up by one of their friends, the store would have closed last year according to the couple.

With the closure date drawing closer, customers are sad to see it go. Sitting at the bar with a beer in hand, Mike McConnell, took some time to speak about the closure. He and his wife have been coming to Barking Goose since they first opened. “My wife and I, we’d come here every week and we’re shocked to learn about their closing. We always took time out of whatever we were doing to come here,” McConnell said. “It’s very upsetting.” Jessica McQuiston, who also has been coming for the last three years, also with beer in hand, will miss Barking Goose and encourages people to come out before it’s gone. “It’s a wonderful place. They welcome everybody,” McQuiston said. “There’s not a lot of small businesses like this out there where you can hit many different aspects.” Spider Graham, another regular patron, who also visits Barking Goose with his wife, will miss the business when it closes. He will miss going to trivia nights. “I’m pretty sad about it to be honest,” Graham said. “It’s been great, but it’s sad to see it go.” Erin Slattery, who is a frequent customer of The Barking Goose and is friends with the owners, said that the owners are some of the most wonderful people she has ever met.