Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar (previously Lazy Dog Cafe) is a casual dining restaurant chain operating in California. Lazy Dog currently operates eighteen locations with a 19th location set to open in Downey, CA. Lazy Dog is a growth company.
The restaurant's name was originally going to be Rocky Mountain Cafe. However, Lazy Dog Cafe received its unique name because Chris Simms, its founder, believed that the restaurant was "too serious" and wanted to make it more "kid-friendly". Chris Simms's father and partner in the business, Tom Simms, founded and later sold the popular restaurant chain Mimi's Cafe. The restaurant's seats have dog prints so that "kids would feel welcome".
In August 2003, a new restaurant was opened by Chris Simms in Westminster, California. It is decorated with photographs and drawings of hounds. The restaurant has an "eclectic" menu, including pizza and Kung Pao chicken.
Lazy Dog Cafe has locations throughout California in Westminster, Torrance, Orange, Thousand Oaks, Valencia, Irvine, Temecula, Cerritos, West Covina, Rancho Cucamonga, Brea, San Diego.
For a temporary time in 2012-2013, the Lazy Dog Cafe Valencia location was prohibited from allowing dogs on the patio of the restaurant. This was due to a filed complaint against the restaurant from a customer in the Westfield Valencia Town Center. Since then, the restaurant has renewed their city permit and dogs have been allowed back on the patio.