Pate’s Group, Doghouse Restaurant Announce Merger

CHATHAM – The TPJ Restaurant Group, which owns Pate’s Restaurant and two other local eateries, is merging with Global Doghouse, owner of the Doghouse Restaurant in Dennis Port.

The new partnership will be a “fusion of cultures and values” that will benefit diners as well as employees, said representatives of the two companies.

The merger is a “natural maturation” of the Pate’s Group’s growth, said co-owner Thomas Johnson.

“From the first conversation on, there was just a lot of synergy and energy,” he said.

Doghouse owner Michael Martir said there were other suitors for the restaurant, but he found common ground with Pate’s owners, the Chatham Hospitality Group. Both organizations complement each other, he said.

“[Johnson] felt this was the missing piece in the organization and that it would bring excitement back to hospitality and change the industry on Cape Cod and elsewhere,” Martir said.

The new entity, Coastal Hospitality, will have a focus on workplace culture “that fosters creativity, professional growth and an unwavering dedication to delivering unparalleled service,” according to an announcement issued last week. Martir said his company invested in its employees, which translated to an improved dining experience for customers. The new company, which will have about 200 employees, will deploy initiatives such as enhanced training, mentorship opportunities and wellness packages.

Doghouse had a program to match a percentage of employees’ savings toward a downpayment on a house, and helped with classes on understanding homeownership and the real estate market, Martir said. The Pate’s group owns three residential properties, including the former Master Mariner Motel in West Chatham; about half of the rooms are occupied by their workers, with the others leased to other local businesses, Johnson said.

If workers are happy and satisfied, customers will have a better experience, he said.

“Michael has this energy and he’s quite active on social media,” he said. “And it’s dynamic. We’re looking for that piece to tell the story better than we’ve told it in the past.”

Martir will be interim CEO of Coastal Hospitality. Along with Pate’s and the Doghouse, the company owns and operates The Cut in Chatham and Chapin’s Bayside in Dennis. The Doghouse also operates a food truck.

Currently all of the restaurants are open seasonally. Pate’s has applied to the town to convert its current seasonal liquor license to a year-round license, after the new license was approved in special legislation recently signed by Gov. Maura Healy. A hearing on the change is scheduled for Feb. 20 before the Chatham Select Board.