Dog Haus, the celebrated gourmet hot dog, sausage, and burger concept, continues its meteoric path of expansion beyond its Pasadena, California, hometown with the announcement of a 20-unit franchise deal that will bring its one-of-a-kind creations to the heart of Texas. The deal with local franchisee Ron Ryan, a veteran restaurateur and former vice president of operations with 49 unit Maggiano’s Little Italy, raises the total number of planned franchised Dog Haus locations to more than 100 in six states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, and now Texas) with more in the queue in the weeks to follow.
"Beyond Ron's extensive experience growing some of the nation's best brands, his passion for what we are doing at Dog Haus was apparent from our first meeting," says Dog Haus partner Hagop Giragossian, who cofounded the hot concept with friends and fellow partners André Vener and Quasim Riaz in 2010. "He wanted to learn everything, meet everyone, and took the time to understand who we are on a core level, so he can not only recreate the energy behind Dog Haus in the Texas market, but grow it in a way that makes sense for that community."
“I was immediately impressed with the Dog Haus team and the culture that André, Hagop and Quasim have engendered in just a few short years,” says Ryan, who has more than 30 years in the hospitality industry. “These guys just get it, and I’m honored to be on this journey with them to bring such a high-quality product and dynamic brand to my local community.”
Ryan joins more than 20 franchisees who have been similarly inspired by Dog Haus's reinvention of the humble hot dog, sausage, and burger since Giragossian, Riaz & Vener initially made the decision to franchise in 2013. The first franchise restaurant opened in June 2014, signaling the brand's growth from two company-owned restaurants in Pasadena, California, with a current total of nine restaurants throughout Southern California, plus, most recently, Centennial, Colorado. Based on current construction timelines, the brand will open 11 additional franchise locations before the end of 2015 raising the total to 20. Dog Haus's core leadership and culinary teams, including executive chef Michael Brown and Würstmacher (sausage-maker) Adam Gertler, will continue overseeing each stage of the expansion, working closely with the local franchisees to ensure the quality that has made the brand a "haus" name in Southern California is preserved.
"As excited as we are about our growth, in truth the number of franchises we sell is important only if the quality of the experience is maintained," Riaz says. "We started Dog Haus because we wanted to offer guests something better than what previously existed in the category. We've been successful in that regard and plan to continue building upon that commitment as we grow."
