After planning to open in January, both Cheren and ASU officials said construction is now being finalized and they are waiting for licenses from city inspectors before they can start selling dogs.
“I think there is a niche for this kind of food,” Cheren said. “I use the best ingredients that I can possibly find, and it’s for the students that come here.”
The new location will serve Dave’s traditional menu in a courtyard in Cady Mall, offering items like the East Coast-style Boston dog, sliders and homemade chili.
“I think it’s a good fit,” said Jim Emmons, Aramark director of operations and catering. “He has a menu that we don’t offer yet [on campus].”
But the new digs and classic hotdogs aren’t all Dave’s Doghouse fans have to look forward to — during the breakfast hours, students can stop by for Dave’s breakfast sliders, a new item on the menu.
Other new offerings on Dave’s menu include a new recipe of an East Coast favorite: franks and beans, and a Polish hot dog and corndogs.
“It’s going to complement what we already have on campus, but it’s going to be something really new,” Emmons said.
To accommodate student schedules, the Doghouse plans to open its doors at 7 a.m. alongside a coffee shop Aramark is opening next door — which is also set to open when renovations are complete.
Depending on the demand, Cheren said his restaurant’s hours could extend the closing time from 10 p.m. to possibly midnight or 2 a. m.
Though the lease for its current location on Forest Avenue and University Drive doesn’t run out for another three years, the Doghouse’s on-campus move is a matter of timing, Cheren said.
“This [old] location was great when the whole block was full,” he said.
But that was before a developer bought the nearby properties and knocked everything down, Cheren said.
When the new location opens, the original location will shut down for good despite the lease, though he hopes to open more locations elsewhere.
Cheren said he envisions Dave’s Doghouse providing quality East Coast-style dogs to college students on campuses all across the country.
“I think his menu mix complements ours,” Emmons said. “It’s something we don’t offer right now that students and faculty will be impressed with.”
For right now, Cheren said he’s focused on presenting ASU students with a quality product.
“I think it’s really only a matter of good food,” Cheren said. “If something is good, if it’s consistently good, they’ll come back.”
Reach the reporter at joseph.schmidt@asu.edu
