PASADENA, CA – Dog Haus, the award-winning craft casual brand known for its gourmet hot dogs, sausages, and smashburgers, has announced a sweeping transformation of its executive leadership team. Following a year of significant development momentum and a landmark international debut in 2026, the company is reinforcing its corporate infrastructure by appointing industry veteran James Field as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and promoting long-time brand architect CJ Ramirez to the newly created role of Chief Experience Officer (CXO).

This strategic realignment is further bolstered by the arrival of a high-caliber marketing and innovation team, signaling Dog Haus’s intention to transition from a successful domestic franchise to a sophisticated global powerhouse. The move comes as the brand seeks to capitalize on its recent expansion into Mexico and its growing influence in the "craft casual" segment of the restaurant industry.

Main Facts: A Strategic Overhaul for Scalable Growth

The core of this announcement lies in the assembly of what CEO Michael Montagano describes as a "marketing powerhouse team." The restructuring is designed to bridge the gap between corporate strategy and franchisee execution, ensuring that as the brand scales, the quality of the guest experience and the profitability of individual locations remain paramount.

The New Executive Guard

James Field joins Dog Haus following a distinguished tenure at Jersey Mike’s, where he served as Chief Innovation Officer. Field is credited with building an enterprise-wide innovation function that significantly boosted incremental revenue and operational efficiency for the sandwich giant. His move to Dog Haus is viewed as a major "get" for the Pasadena-based brand, bringing C-suite experience from one of the fastest-growing franchise systems in the United States.

Simultaneously, CJ Ramirez, who has been a foundational pillar of Dog Haus’s brand identity, steps into the CXO role. Ramirez will pivot from traditional marketing oversight to a broader, cross-functional mandate. His focus will be on "brand stewardship," ensuring that the brand’s culture and operational standards are consistently applied across the franchise system, particularly as the company empowers its Area Directors.

The "Powerhouse" Support Team

Field is not joining alone. He has assembled a specialized team of executives with diverse backgrounds in food service, consumer packaged goods (CPG), and logistics:

• Clare Baños (EVP of Marketing): A Wharton MBA with 25 years of experience at global giants like Pernod Ricard and General Mills.
• Jeremy Fletcher (VP of Creative and Innovation): A former Jersey Mike’s innovation leader with two decades of experience in brand design and concept testing.
• Catalina Uribe (VP of Off-Premise and Logistics): An MIT Supply Chain alumna specializing in third-party delivery marketplaces and digital ordering ecosystems.

Chronology: From Pasadena Cult Favorite to International Contender

To understand the weight of these appointments, one must look at the rapid trajectory Dog Haus has maintained since its inception.

2010–2020: Establishing the Identity

Founded in 2010 by friends Hagop Giragossian, Quasim Riaz, and André Vener, Dog Haus began as a single location in Pasadena, California. The founders identified a gap in the market for "craft casual"—a step above fast casual that emphasized chef-driven menus, premium ingredients (such as hormone-free, humanely raised proteins), and a distinctively irreverent brand voice. Over its first decade, the brand grew a cult-like following, expanding steadily across the U.S.

2024: The Celebrity Infusion

A pivotal moment in the brand’s history occurred in 2024 when professional boxer and YouTuber Jake Paul joined the company as both a franchisee and a member of the Board of Directors. This partnership provided Dog Haus with unprecedented social media reach and cultural relevance, helping the brand appeal to a younger, digitally native demographic.

2026: The International Leap

June 2026 marked a watershed moment for the organization. Dog Haus opened its first international restaurant in Mérida, Mexico. This was not merely a one-off location but the anchor for a broader global growth strategy. The success of the Mérida opening proved that the "More Choices. More Flavor." philosophy resonated across borders, necessitating a more robust corporate structure to manage international logistics and brand consistency.

Late 2026: The Leadership Pivot

Following the successful international launch, the brand recognized the need to professionalize its marketing and innovation funnels. This led to the recruitment of Field and the promotion of Ramirez, setting the stage for the next decade of expansion.

Supporting Data: Infrastructure and Innovation

The restructuring is backed by a data-driven approach to modern restaurant management, focusing on three key pillars: off-premise dominance, creative consistency, and franchise profitability.

Digital and Off-Premise Synergy

With the appointment of Catalina Uribe, Dog Haus is doubling down on its digital footprint. The brand’s proprietary mobile app, Haus Rewards, has become a central hub for guest loyalty. Uribe’s expertise in supply chain and logistics is expected to optimize the "Bad-Ass Breakfast Burritos" sub-brand, which often operates as a high-volume virtual concept within Dog Haus kitchens. By streamlining third-party delivery marketplaces and improving the UI/UX of the native app, Dog Haus aims to increase guest frequency and average check size.

Menu Innovation and Brand Design

Jeremy Fletcher’s role as VP of Creative and Innovation addresses the need for a unified brand voice. Dog Haus’s menu is complex, featuring smashburgers, sausages, chicken, and plant-based options. Fletcher’s background in testing hundreds of concepts for major restaurant systems will allow Dog Haus to iterate on its menu more scientifically, ensuring that new "LTOs" (Limited Time Offers) are both operationally feasible for franchisees and enticing for consumers.

Global Brand Experience

Clare Baños’s experience with luxury and CPG brands like Absolut Vodka brings a level of marketing sophistication rarely seen in the mid-market franchise space. Her focus on "full-funnel" marketing strategy means Dog Haus will be looking to optimize every stage of the customer journey—from the first social media impression to the final bite in a restaurant in Mexico or the Midwest.

Official Responses: Leadership on the Vision

The leadership team has been vocal about the strategic intent behind these changes.

Michael Montagano, CEO of Dog Haus, emphasized that the promotion of CJ Ramirez is a validation of his long-term impact. "CJ has been instrumental in shaping Dog Haus into the brand it is today," Montagano stated. "This promotion recognizes his impact and provides a broader platform to leverage his institutional knowledge… as an invaluable resource to our area directors and franchisees."

Regarding the hiring of James Field, Montagano described it as a "game-changing addition." He noted, "His proven experience scaling a national franchise system, combined with the exceptional team he’s assembled, gives us tremendous firepower to support our franchisees and accelerate Dog Haus’ next era of growth."

James Field, the newly appointed CMO, expressed his enthusiasm for the brand’s "unconventional" DNA. "Dog Haus has always challenged convention, and that’s exactly what makes this opportunity so exciting," Field said. "The seasoned group of executives I’m fortunate to be bringing with me is wired the same way. We have the ability to move quickly and turn unconventional ideas into marketing that captures attention and helps franchisees win."

Implications: What This Means for the Franchise Industry

The aggressive talent acquisition by Dog Haus carries several implications for the broader restaurant industry and the franchise model.

1. The Professionalization of the "Craft" Segment

As "craft" brands grow, they often struggle to maintain the "soul" of the original concept while implementing the "systems" required for 100+ locations. By promoting Ramirez to CXO, Dog Haus is attempting to institutionalize the "experience" of the brand. This suggests that in the future, the most successful franchises will be those that treat "experience" as a measurable corporate function rather than an abstract concept.

2. The "Jersey Mike’s Effect"

The recruitment of three key leaders from Jersey Mike’s suggests that Dog Haus is looking to emulate the operational discipline and rapid-scale model of the sandwich giant. For current and prospective franchisees, this indicates a shift toward more rigorous support systems, better data analytics, and a more aggressive national media presence.

3. Vertical Integration of Marketing and Logistics

By housing creative, innovation, and off-premise logistics under a single marketing umbrella (led by Field), Dog Haus is breaking down the traditional silos between "selling the food" and "delivering the food." This integrated approach is essential in a post-pandemic landscape where digital sales often account for 30-50% of a restaurant’s revenue.

4. International Scalability

The inclusion of executives with global experience (Baños and Uribe) suggests that the Mérida, Mexico location is just the beginning. Dog Haus is clearly positioning itself to be an American export that can compete with global titans, using its "More Choices. More Flavor." mantra as a universal selling point.

Conclusion

Dog Haus’s decision to "double down" on its leadership team in 2026 is a bold statement of intent. By combining the institutional memory of CJ Ramirez with the high-octane growth experience of James Field and his team, the brand is preparing for a future where it is no longer just a Pasadena success story, but a dominant force in the global craft casual market. For the restaurant industry, it is a clear signal: the era of the "unconventional" brand, backed by conventional corporate excellence, has arrived.