Dog Haus is expanding its footprint and shifting delivery strategy to give customers more opportunities to interact with the brand. The fast casual announced it’s partnering with Kitchen United and Live Nation to deliver gourmet hot dogs and burgers to guests outside of its normal restaurants.
In an effort to expand delivery into fresh markets, Dog Haus teamed up with Kitchen United to become the first brand to have a systemwide partnership with the virtual kitchen brand. The team at Kitchen United allows brands like Dog Haus to expand its off-premises footprint without losing the quality of food or putting more pressure on a location. Dog Haus will use the facilities at Kitchen United to focus on preparing food specifically for delivery or pick-up customers.
“Food delivery and pickup is a growing portion of our business because who doesn’t love enjoying a killer hot dog in the comfort of their own home?” Dog Haus partner Hagop Giragossian said in a statement. “We are confident that the gold standard we’ve established for our hot dogs, sausages and burgers will connect with consumers in each of these new markets, just as it has in our existing communities. We’re all-in with Kitchen United, and we can’t wait to grow right along with them.”
Kitchen United plans on opening 25 new locations by the end of 2020. As Dog Haus moves into this new off-premises space, the brand will nearly double its footprint and bring the company into new areas.
“Kitchen United’s turnkey solution enables popular restaurant brands like Dog Haus to grow by serving today’s consumer, who increasingly wants to enjoy their favorite meal outside the four walls of the restaurant,” Anthony Green, VP of national sales for Kitchen United, added in a statement. “We are thrilled to have Dog Haus partner with us as we revolutionize the off-premise experience for restaurants and their guests.”
In May, the first part of the expansion will begin in Illinois when Kitchen United opens its kitchen center in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. The other 25 locations will open in 10 different markets: Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Columbus, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Washington, DC.
“We view our partnership with Kitchen United as not only an enormous growth opportunity for our brand, but as a way for us to stay on the cutting edge of the off-premise dining experience,” Giragossian said. “We want to be a leader in the delivery space and believe that it’s important to embrace the changes happening in this part of our industry. This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for us to bring our unique chef-driven menu to current and future Dog Haus fanatics in one fell swoop, while also paving the way for us to expand our franchising reach in each of these new markets beyond the virtual kitchen sites.”
The second part of Dog Haus’ unconventional off-premises strategy involves its partnership with entertainment brand, Live Nation. A selection of Dog Haus menu items will be available at 16 venues this summer.
The new eats made their debut on Saturday, April 20, for opening night of the Concord Pavilion in Concord, California.
Concert-goers will be able to choose between classic menu items along with new creations made specifically for the venues.
Live Nation venues will feature various Dog Haus menu items, including Chili The Kid, Cowboy, Reservoir Hog, and Old Town dogs, and Tots.
“It’s a huge opportunity to be ramping up so many storefronts at once, and we’re looking forward to creating thousands of new Dog Haus fans at Live Nation venues,” Dog Haus partner André Vener says. “Concerts and hot dogs are two staples of summer, and this partnership combines the best of both worlds. It just doesn’t get any better than that.”
Dog Haus has more than 30 brick-and-mortar locations nationwide and has plans to nearly double its footprint by the end of 2019.
