In Operation with... Red Dog Saloon

We find out from Red Dog Saloon owner and founder Tom Brooke what's behind the success of his American restaurant chain as it begins its expansion outside London.

As the family-run business opens its fifth site and first outside the capital in Nottingham, Brooke, who trained as a chef before opening Red Dog Saloon in 2010, says the intention was not to create a barbecue restaurant chain, but an authentic American restaurant experience.

"When I was 21 I visited America and one of the things that struck me was how good cheeseburgers were and, I know everyone loves a cheeseburger, but really in America it was completely different. Ten years ago in London there was nothing comparable to that," he says. 

"Red Dog, for me is the best of American cooking - we're not a burger restaurant and we're not a barbecue restaurant - we're an American restaurant and I want Americans who come here to say 'this is better than at home'." 

Speaking from the original Red Dog Saloon in London's Hoxton Square, Brooke also shows us the kitchens where smokers are put on day and night to smoke meat for 18 hours before it is served to customers.

He says: "As a customer the food you will have will be fresh out the smoker." 

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This BigHospitality video was sponsored by CST: 

Call Systems Technology (CST) is the UK's leading technology supplier for the hospitality industry, across front and back of house. Founded in 1995, CST was the first company to introduce restaurant paging to the UK hospitality market.

The business is the exclusive European strategic partner of QSR Automations Inc. and exclusive European and Middle Eastern distributors for JTECH An HME Company – both world experts in hospitality solutions.