When Chris Simms talks about his new membership program at Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar, he talks about building a community.
“We didn’t want to play the points game,” he said. “Instead we wanted to surprise and delight the members.”
Simms is founder and chief executive officer of the casual restaurant chain, which began in 2003 in Huntington Beach and now has 50 restaurants in six states. It is based in Costa Mesa.
Lazy Dog’s membership program is called the Campfire Club, and it caps off five years of innovation. It launched a beer club in the beginning of 2019, followed by a line of heat and serve take-home meals called TV Dinners and two virtual kitchens, which are online brands that aren’t served in dining rooms but made in-house and available for pickup and delivery. They are Jolene’s Wings + Beer, launched in 2020, and Roadtrip Bowls, launched in 2022.
The beer club provided the model for Campfire Club, according to Simms. He said customers who don’t drink beer were asking for a club of their own.
Most restaurants’ loyalty programs are free and points-based. Customers accumulate points that they can redeem for rewards. Campfire Club is by subscription. Customers sign up for $5 a month and in return get one item a month worth up to $15. It might be an appetizer, a dessert or a TV Dinner. Other perks include discounts on delivery and priority seating. And Simms said there will be surprises to keep customers engaged.
“The membership has to have two sides. It needs to be logical from a dollar perspective, but then it has to be emotional from an inclusive, access perspective. I wanted it to have both of those because ultimately, I want our guests to become regulars. I want them to feel like they’re part of the club.”
In addition to big initiatives, Simms said Lazy Dog’s menu is constantly evolving while remaining true to its roots. Lazy Dog calls it “comfort food with a twist.”
The restaurants have a Rocky Mountain theme inspired by Simms’ childhood summers in Jackson Hole, Wyo. The menu is long and eclectic but anchored by such dishes as pot roast, bison meatloaf and Apple-Huckleberry Open Face Pie.
Seasonal menus roll out twice a year, spring and fall, from the chain’s 1,000-square-foot test kitchen in its Brea restaurant. It is led by Gabriel Caliendo, vice president of food and beverage.
Tastings go on constantly, Simms said, and not just for dine-in items. If it’s a TV Dinner, it gets tasted, then frozen, reheated and tasted again.
Several new spring items were recently introduced, including grilled Idaho trout with crispy smashed potatoes, New York steak with garlic butter green beans, Green Goddess salad, Confetti Cake and the Tequila Honey Squeeze, a pre-batch cocktail served in a bear-shaped honey bottle that can be poured into a glass.
Early winners include a couple of starters, Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice and Firecracker Shrimp, which Simms said will likely be kept on the menu in the fall.
The test kitchen is already done with the fall menu and starting to work on next spring’s menu, Simms said.
“We have a couple of new soups coming this fall. We’ve got some great hearty dishes that are perfect for colder weather but at the same time are exciting and interesting, ideally things that people can’t find anywhere else.”
Tastes have changed quite a bit in the last 20 years, he said.
“What used to be unique and interesting are commonplace. Hummus is a perfect example. When we opened up 20 years ago with our Hummus Trio, the only place you could find hummus was in Greek restaurants and Trader Joe’s. And now every single menu has hummus on it. We actually revamped that dish a year ago and made it more of a trio with tabouli and a spicy feta dip. We gave it a little bit more than hummus just to keep things a little bit more current.”
“I think people are much more interested in spice now. Spicy is way more acceptable than it was 20 years ago. And I think there are more Asian flavors, not just Chinese flavors, but all types of Asian.”
Lazy Dog recently opened in Garland, Texas, and several more restaurants are on the way this year, including in the Chicago area and Colorado. Simms said the chain will enter the Philadelphia market next year.
Current promotions include offering beer club members half off on Roadtrip bowls, Simms said. The latest beer release is called “America the Brewtiful.”
“So far, it’s been a year of adventure, helping people explore different aspects of the menu,” he said.
Lazy Dog has renamed its e-mail list the Campfire Community.
“It all starts with our Campfire Community,” he said. “That’s the hub. That’s where people enter into the Lazy Dog universe. And from there we can introduce them to various spokes off of that hub.”
“They’re all related. They’re all various ways to use us.”
Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar
Test Kitchen: 240 S. State College Blvd., Brea.
Information: lazydogrestaurants.com
Campfire Club: join.ldcampfireclub.com
Jolene’s Wings & Beer: jolenes.com
Roadtrip Bowls: roadtripbowls.com
