Dog Haus taps four operators for 400-unit expansion plan

Dog Haus has signed four area directors who plan to develop 400 restaurants across the South and Mid-Atlantic, advancing a 15-territory franchise structure that could produce 1,500 units nationwide. The announcement frames the 400 as franchise-development commitments, not company-operated openings, and discloses no capital requirements, opening dates or unit-level economics.

Four operators, 400 planned restaurants

Dog Haus revamped its franchising strategy last year around 15 nationwide territories. Each area director commits to at least 100 units, yielding the stated 1,500-restaurant goal; the four new appointments account for 400 of those planned locations.

The four directors will also serve as master franchisees responsible for recruiting new operators. They join the system as equity partners, and the group will receive representation on Dog Haus’s board. The Pasadena, California-based fast-casual chain presents the appointments as a way to speed national development with seasoned franchise operators.

Experienced operators take four territories

• Florida: Nick Crouch will lead development. He is a 16-year franchise veteran whose portfolio includes 135 Tropical Smoothie locations.
• North Carolina, Tennessee, southern Virginia and West Virginia: PG1 Restaurants LLC will develop Dog Haus. The group owns and operates more than 60 restaurants, including Dave’s Hot Chicken units.
• Delaware, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia and Northern Virginia: Kyle Yancey will lead the territory. Yancey owns Opportunities Restaurant Group, which operates Jersey Mike’s across Maryland and the D.C. area.
• Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi: Jesse Allen will develop Dog Haus. Allen recently exited Jersey Mike’s as a franchisee and operates Dave’s Hot Chicken in multiple states across the Southeast.

Building structure before a pipeline

Chris Rigassio, who joined the more-than-50-unit brand earlier this year as president and chief development officer, framed the appointments this way:

“Upon joining Dog Haus, the first thing we set out to build was the structure, not the pipeline. Most brands sell master agreements to salespeople. We are awarding markets to proven, large-scale, multi-brand, multi-state operators.”

His explanation focused on what area directors would do after receiving territory commitments:

“They live in their markets and will provide support in site selection, new store openings, maintaining brand standards and driving unit profitability. Their success will derive from the success of their franchisees, and from building restaurants that will perform for years to come.”

The model places local development and support with operators that already run established restaurant portfolios. It also aligns the directors with franchisee performance, although the announcement does not disclose equity percentages, any master-franchise fees or director compensation.

What does this change for franchisees?

For a prospective franchisee, the immediate change is a territorially defined route into Dog Haus, with an area director involved in site selection and openings. The structure provides a named operator to support development and brand standards, but it does not supply the numbers needed to judge a store’s economics.

The announcement omits average checks, sales targets, buildout costs, royalty or other fees, cost of goods, labor percentages and margins. It also provides no opening calendar; a 400-location pipeline is not 400 operating stores, and unit profitability remains the stated measure.

Demand context and internal support

The development plan arrives against a mixed 2025 chain-restaurant market. Technomic’s Top 500 analysis said chain-restaurant sales slowed again as consumers cut back on dining, while coffee, beverages, snacks and chicken thrived.

Dog Haus supplied no check average, same-store sales, sourcing or pricing details, so the announcement does not show whether expansion depends on more traffic, price increases or menu-mix changes. That matters because territory commitments establish potential sites, while average demand and operating costs determine whether those restaurants become durable businesses.

Dog Haus also expanded its internal development team with three added leaders. Lauren Bellingham became vice president of store development, Jerry Kallman vice president of franchise sales and RJ Cancilla director of real estate. Their assignments cover store development, franchise sales and property decisions alongside the four territory directors.

The next test is whether the four directors can convert territory commitments into operating restaurants while maintaining standards and unit profitability. Until Dog Haus reports openings, sales and unit results, 400 remains a development plan rather than a demonstrated operating base.