Lazy Dog Restaurant in Fresno allows pets on its patio. Photo contributedSource: Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar

A little more than a year after the Elephant Bar and Grill closed in north Fresno, the new restaurant taking its place will open on Monday.

After months of renovating the building, Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar will open at 11 a.m. oct. 29 at 7965 N Blackstone Ave., in the Villaggio Shopping Center.

After the Elephant Bar closed unexpectedly in August of last year, Huntington Beach-based Lazy Dog quickly took over the space in the popular retail and restaurant district to open its first Valley restaurant.

Though the name might make you think of a hot dog chain, the 27 Lazy Dogs are casual-dining restaurants specializing in hand-crafted American food and drinks with seasonally-inspired ingredients, according to a company press release.

Most Lazy Dogs are in California, with the rest in Nevada, Colorado and Texas. The company’s website states that besides the scheduled opening in Fresno, two more restaurants in the chain will open this fall in Newark, California, and Vernon Hills, Illinois.

Much of the work to convert the restaurant involved the exterior, as Lazy Dogs share similar looks, with one corner of each building made to look like a ranger’s lookout.

“Family owned, Lazy Dog is designed to feel like an upscale Rocky Mountain escape, complete with lodge-inspired furnishings such as cozy fireplaces, ledge stone, chandeliers crafted from Aspen logs and cowboy artwork,” a press release from the company states.

In addition, Lazy Dog tries to live up to its name by allowing guests to dine with their dogs.

Once operating, the new Fresno restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to midnight weekdays and from 9 a.m. to midnight on weekends.