Dive Brief:
- Dog Haus has signed a 50-unit franchising deal with Chris Rigassio and Garen Khodaverdian, who also joined the chain as president and chief development officer, and chief operating officer, respectively, the chain said in an emailed press release.
- Rigassio and Khodaverdian are multi-unit franchisees for other rapidly growing restaurant brands, including Wingstop and Jersey Mike’s, and operate over 100 restaurants.
- The addition of experienced franchisees to its system and its C-suite could help the roughly 50-unit chain expand its system. The brand has a long-term goal of reaching 1,500 U.S. locations.
Dive Insight:
Under the hot dog brand’s new franchising model, Dog Haus will select 15 high-performing operators to serve as area directors. These individuals will be responsible for developing 100 stores in their respective regions, according to a separate news release.
Rigassio, as development chief, will be tasked with recruiting those area directors from among the franchising systems of other fast casual brands.
“I was fortunate to be part of Jersey Mike’s and Wingstop during pivotal stages of their growth. After spending two years doing my due diligence on Dog Haus, I feel that same momentum here,” Rigassio said in a press release.
As COO, Khodaverdian will be focused on streamlining operations, finding efficiencies and managing costs. The pair of executives have already opened their first Dog Haus in San Fernando, California, earlier this spring, though Dog Haus did not specify when.
The addition of seasoned multi-unit operators to the chain’s C-suite “bridges the gap between franchisor and franchisee, where economic and governance interests are truly aligned,” CEO Michael Montagano said.
It is similar to the strategies employed by other fast casual brands, like Dave’s Hot Chicken, which filled its C-suite with franchisees to ensure executives possessed operational expertise and insights. Bringing on operators from growing brands like Wingstop and Jersey Mikes, both of which have seen significant unit count growth recently, could help Dog Haus reach its development ambitions.
Per the press release, Dog Haus has more than 50 restaurants, roughly the same number it possessed in 2023 — 58 according to its 2024 franchise disclosure document. That year, Montagano joined the chain as CEO from Kitchen United, shortly before the collapse of the ghost kitchen firm. In 2024, Dog Haus started a partnership with controversial YouTuber and boxer Jake Paul, who joined the brand as a franchisee and board member.
Earlier this year, the chain said it was poised for its strongest period of growth yet and that new franchising deals would introduce it to Arkansas, Ohio, Florida and Kentucky.
