Proprietors Jason Bell and Brett Johnson had their grand opening of Dog Haus in The Shops at Northfield on December 16.

With outdoor seating featuring a firepit, a rotating selection of 24 American craft beers, and hormone- and antibiotic-free hot dogs, sausages and burgers, the new Dog Haus restaurant brings a German biergarten-inspired eating/gathering place to The Shops at Northfield.

Proprietors Jason Bell and Brett Johnson say they have created a family-friendly, food-first business model with hormone- and antibiotic-free meats, vegetarian and gluten-free choices like their veggie smoked apple sausage, lettuce wraps, and their proprietary veggie burger. Most menu selections are served atop a grilled King’s Hawaiian bun. All menu choices can be customized by selecting from a list of toppings, most of which are made from scratch in-house.

Customers gather around the fire
pit (left) and shared tables (below)at Dog Haus.

The outdoor biergarten seats 50, indoor seating accommodates 65 patrons, and garage-style doors “let the inside out and the outside in” on days when weather permits. Nine HD TVs show sports events and play YouTube-styled videos that are “funny and fun to watch.” Called Dog Haus TV, the videos keep customers of all ages entertained. “We do show televised sports, but we are definitely not a sports bar,” says Bell. Johnson says their music and entertainment helps make dining at Dog Haus enjoyable for the entire family.

Bell and Johnson say they chose Northfield for the sense of community. “It’s about building relationships. Dog Haus aims to become a part of the neighborhood, greeting customers by name,” says Bell. Dog Haus is a franchise, but both partners say “there is nothing cookie-cutter” about their way of doing business. They take pride in running each store as if it was a “Mom and Pop” operation.

With a commitment to community involvement, Dog Haus donates proceeds to charitable organizations and sponsors local sports teams as a way of giving back. Ten percent of the proceeds from their Northfield grand opening went to the Colorado Veterans Project, a nonprofit that hosts special events and raises awareness and funds for local veterans.

Bell owns the Dog Haus restaurant in Centennial and partners with Johnson in Northfield. Bell, who has a background in the food service industry, enjoys the “controlled chaos” of working in a restaurant and says the partners complement each other and work well together. “Our strengths and weaknesses are very different,” says Johnson, who handles the behind-the-scenes business.

Featuring the tagline, The Absolute Würst, the first Dog Haus opened in Pasadena, Calif., in 2010. In Colorado, two other Dog Haus restaurants are located in Centennial and Colorado Springs.

To view the menu or learn more about Dog Haus, visit http://northfieldstapleton.doghaus.com or call 303.353.4385.