When Dog Haus launched in 2010, its concept made a lot of sense...for the year 2010. Its mission was to elevate stadium food into culinary masterwork, and it did so by selling hot dogs and sausages decorated with ingredients such as bacon, pastrami, caramelized onions, and arugula. The three founders, Hagop Giragossian, Quasim Riaz, and André Vener, dubbed their concept "craft casual," and they built fun, large, airy venues to serve customers. It has grown to 50-plus locations since franchising.
But in the decade since, much has changed about how Americans eat. People increasingly order food through Grubhub or Uber Eats. Dog Haus responded by expanding its reach through ghost kitchens-delivery-only facilities with no seating, parking, or signs. Then, when the pandemic hit, foot traffic dropped even more and the ghost kitchens presented an intriguing opportunity. If Dog Haus could sell food without a dine-in location, why did its founders have to stick to just selling Dog Haus-branded food? Couldn't they sell, well, anything?
In March 2020, the three Dog Haus founders put that question to the test by announcing an ambitious roster of brands: The Absolute Brands, consisting of seven new quick-service restaurant concepts that had no physical stores and operated out of existing Dog Haus locations. (After all, Dog Haus kitchens suddenly had excess capacity.) Today, six brands are still standing-Plant B, The Impossible Shop, Big Belly Burger, Bad Mutha Clucka, Bad-Ass Breakfast Burritos and Jailbird-and more than 20% of the company's sales are coming from The Absolute Brands. Same-store sales are up 34% compared to pre-pandemic 2019.
The three founders sat down with Entrepreneur to explain how The Absolute Brands work, and why the future is looking a lot more flexible.
It sounds exhausting to launch multiple restaurants during a pandemic. How were you able to do it so quickly?
Denne historien er fra Startups Summer 2022-utgaven av Entrepreneur US.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra Startups Summer 2022-utgaven av Entrepreneur US.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
The Better Way to Fail
The next time something you do flops, here's a new way to learn from it.
Making the Midlife Leap
After getting laid off in her early 50s, Keri Gardner decided she wanted to control her own fate-so she bought a franchise with her 401(k).
A Quick Guide to Franchise Ownership Costs
Franchising costs money. Here's what everything means.
This Doughnut Franchise Is Hitting the Road
To grow, DonutNV needed a steady supply of delivery trailers. So last year, it started making them itself.
3 Steps to Find Your Perfect Franchise
There are many brands out there. Finding the right one is up to you.
This Fencing Franchise Is Ready for Growth
Superior Fence & Rail nearly doubled its sales in one year. How? By stepping back and focusing on fundamentals.
What Are a Franchisee's Role and Responsibilities?
If you're going to be a franchisee, you should know exactly what's expected of you.
This Dog-Training Franchise Is Zooming Ahead
After a rough few years, Zoom Room made major changes...and has emerged as a stronger, faster, very well-behaved business.
What's the Real Damage?
Most clean-up companies just fix messes, like fire or flood damage. But 911 Restoration's new CEO saw an opportunity to help with the other emergency they often encounter: customers' emotional trauma.
Mental Health Services, Franchised
The U.S. is facing a growing mental health crisis. Ellie Mental Health wants to be the solution.