Since it’s opening day August 7, 2006, Bad Dawgs, Plymouth’s own local gourmet hot dog hangout, has been providing the community with more than just great food. With its inexpensive meals, wireless internet, and most recently, extended late night hours for even PSU’s most nocturnal student, it has quickly become an essential staple for students and townspeople alike.
However, very soon, Bad Dawgs won’t just be a place that locals can brag to their friends about, because now those very friends will be able to experience it for themselves. Jeffrey DeMoura and Jody Dickerson, the owners of Bad Dawgs, are in the process of negotiating their first franchise.
According to businesslink.gov, franchising is when “the owner of a business (the franchisor) grants a license to another person or business (the franchisee) to use their business idea, often in a specific geographical area.”
Those areas are set to include the University of New Hampshire-Durham, University of Vermont-Burlington, University of Massachusetts at Worcester, Salem State College, Boston University, and Providence Rhode Island, according to Charles J. Sayegh, Chief Executive Officer for Bad Dawgs.
“I came in as a patron to eat, and fell in love with the food. My thought was when I spoke to these guys, I thought it was a very successful franchise already and I just didn’t hear of it yet, but it wasn’t,” said Sayegh. “We did an awful lot of research to see if this was a franchisable business, and every single answer came back a resounding yes.” He declared that within a year, there should be four locations open in N.H.
The recently remodeled Plymouth locale, soon to be known as Bad Dawg University, will serve as the headquarters for the business. “We will actually bring all the franchises here to train,” said DeMoura. Due to the extreme success of the business, it will also serve as a blueprint for the new stores. The general layout will be the same, featuring similar physical attributes. According to Dickerson, they are going with elements such as earth tones and accents (such as the tin lights) which have been so popular with customers they sometimes ask for the paint by name. “It gives you a nice, warm feeling when you come in,” said Demoura.
They also intend to bring similar emotional characteristics that separate Bad Dawgs from other businesses. Other stores will also support Paws for Cause, which selects a different charity each month to help raise funds for.
“The three of us strongly believe in giving back to the community,” said Sayegh. “That’s huge for us, and that’s definitely part of the franchise. We think that each of the stores will actually be geared towards local charities in their communities.”
They would also like to continue with their standards for customer service, which is exhibited by their ever-cheerful employees. “I think what makes us unique is our employees,” said Sayegh. We have an extremely dedicated staff, and that plays a tremendous part. We wouldn’t have the success we have now if it wasn’t for those kids. We will encourage the other stores to do the same thing.”
So what is it about Bad Dawgs that will successfully translate to other locations? Sure there are the food and the employees, but all three of the men involved with the company feel that what appeals to people about Bad Dawgs is what’s behind it.
While DeMoura agrees that part of the success is because “everybody likes hot dogs,” there’s more to it than that. “There’s the aspect that all of our dogs are named after dogs. People really identify with the fact that we love our dogs. People come in and they’re like, ‘You know, I don’t even like sauerkraut,’ but they’ll have a German Shepard because that’s their dog.”
“It’s American as can be. Hot dogs are Americana. What’s more all-American on college campuses than fun and hot dogs?” said Sayegh. “People identify with it. It’s not as formal as a lot of food places can be, so it’s more about the experience. The whole ‘Bad Dawgs’ bad boy type of philosophy that we have here, it just fits right in with college kids on college campuses. We spent a lot of time and energy designing it so that it blends in any town.”
However, they aren’t just limiting their selections to college towns. “We’re looking at other areas, for example, maybe a city similar to say, Portsmouth, which is a little touristy and has lots of foot traffic,” said Dickerson.
Although Bad Dawgs has started as a small business, it seems to not be staying that way for much longer. According to Sayegh, between five and ten stores will open within a year. “It’s incredible growth. It is very seldom you should see a company out of its gates open up five stores in it’s first year. This place is exploding,” he said.
The limits seem to be endless, as Bad Dawgs plans on expanding worldwide someday. “We were designed as a global company right from the beginning. By 2011, we’ll have over 300 stores. Don’t be surprised in the least bit if you’re walking down the Rio de Janeiro on the beach and there’s a Bad Dawgs right there.” Dickerson agrees, saying that he’ll be sitting nearby on the beach.
“We will be international. We’ll spread a little bit of America all over the world, and you can say it all started right here at Plymouth State,” said Sayegh.
While the success of Bad Dawgs has risen to crazy heights, this kind of growth so quickly is hardly average for a new business. However, for those wishing to follow in the footsteps of Bad Dawgs’ owners, they offer some advice.
“For Jody and I, it’s just been if you’re going to do something, do it well,” said DeMoura. “Then, it’s also the aspect for hooking up with the right people, because we really wouldn’t have gone this far without Charles walking in that day.”
Sayegh also has some tips for future business owners and managers. “My advice for people wanting something in their life like that? Do a lot of research. Don’t fall in love with the idea until others have fallen in love with it as well. Don’t be the only one that is love with your idea. And then, when you do decide to go for it, get all the help you possibly can, and then some.”
Bad Dawgs is a big supporter of local events. On May 5 they are sponsoring a hot dog eating contest for PSU’s Spring Fling, which will be in attendance by the true inspiration, their dogs. They are also working on an Apprentice-style competition with the American Marketing Association. The date has yet to be determined. The AMA will be breaking into teams and each will market their own hot dog and sell it. The team with the most volume wins.
For more information about Bad Dawgs’ menu, employment opportunities, or how to apply for a branch of the franchise, check out the website at baddawgs.com.