Furry friends welcome at new restaurant taking place of the old Elephant Bar in North Fresno

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- There are 26 Lazy Dog restaurants spread across California, Nevada, Texas, and Colorado. Fresno will soon be added to that list.

Chris Simms, Founder and CEO of Lazy Dog, said, "It's really handcrafted American food, with a little bit of a global twist. We focus on craveable classics, like pot roast and meatloaf and chicken pot pie, but at the same time we have some bold innovative items."

When you walk into a Lazy Dog Restaurant and Bar it is like you're at a ski lodge-- somewhere you can unwind and relax.

"It feels like you are going away to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where I spent a huge portion of my childhood," said Simms.

The best part-- you can enjoy your food with your four-legged best friend. There is a special menu and a few rules for your furry friends which you can read below.

"We welcome dogs on our patios. So we got fire pits-- with dogs, it becomes a really social environment out there," said Simms.

They chose the old Elephant Bar, because, well, location is everything.

Simms said, "It was closest to the areas that we wanted to attract from. So we really just kind of waited and waited and finally when the Elephant Bar became available that's when we pounced."

Retired economics professor Henry Nishimoto said that is a great location, but more and more restaurants are going to have to have a niche like the Lazy Dog.

"The economy, for all intents and purposes, is at full capacity-- what generally and historically follows is you have a recession. If and when that happens retail outlets, restaurants, commercials businesses are going to have to become much more creative and competitive."

As crews get Lazy Dog ready to open residents will see a large stone tower that will go up-- a signature of the restaurant.

If you are looking to take a seat at the Lazy Dog you'll have to wait a few more months. It isn't expected to open until this fall.