What happens when a neighborhood bar is built entirely around the memory of a rescue dog? In this heartwarming episode of Love Your Local, host Vanessa Ruffes visits Frank’s Beer Shop in East Charlotte.
After losing his beloved dog Frank in 2023, Joe Smaldone turned his grief into purpose—volunteering at local animal shelters and eventually opening a neighborhood spot that celebrates dog lovers, fosters, and rescue organizations across the Carolinas. Discover how a simple Wednesday night run club transformed into a viral 30-dog “neighborhood parade,” how dress-up photos in cowboy hats and lion manes are finding shelter dogs forever homes, and why this East Charlotte gem has earned its title as the “land of misfit toys” for locals seeking real community.
Whether you’re looking for craft beer, a great cup of coffee, or your next rescue pup, Frank’s Beer Shop is proof that community starts at the end of a leash.
Episode Timestamps
00:00 – Welcome to Love Your Local: East Charlotte’s Frank’s Beer Shop
00:27 – The origin story: Meeting Frank on Craigslist
02:21 – Traveling the country with Frank & coping with loss
03:44 – How shelter volunteering inspired the bar’s mission
04:58 – The origin of the Wednesday Night Dog Walk Club
06:27 – Neighborhood parade: How the local community reacted
07:32 – Moving to East Charlotte and building deep roots
08:12 – The reality of animal shelter overcrowding & advocacy needs
10:28 – Going viral: Cowboy hats, lion manes, and photo shoots
12:18 – Getting adoptable shelter dogs into forever homes
14:51 – Finding community in Charlotte: “The land of misfit toys”
18:07 – Meet the family pups: Dakota the Babushka & Cooper the German Shepherd
21:34 – The Wall of Fame: Remembering and celebrating neighborhood dogs
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