A Brief History of Kook Dogg Cafe

Owners Paul and Noel Kuchler, and Walt and Karen Hodges have come together to bring a casual American restaurant for all to Reston Town Center West! Paul Kuchler grew up with the restaurant industry in his blood. His father opened Le Canard, a fine dining French restaurant, in Vienna, VA in 1986 to great acclaim. By 1991, Paul was working in the kitchen, and in 2001 he worked his way up to head chef and entered into a partnership with his father for partial ownership. Seeing the changes in the area, they transformed Le Canard into Maplewood Grill, an upscale American bistro with European influence in 2009. Shortly before opening Maplewood, Noel and Paul – already longtime acquaintances – started dating. While Noel worked full time as a labor and delivery nurse, she quickly got roped into the family business. They eventually sold Maplewood Grill in 2017. Throughout the following years, Paul continued to work in kitchens in northern Virginia, cementing his desire to open his own restaurant once again.

Dr. Walt Hodges worked with Noel as an OBGYN, which is where he learned about Paul, and their goal to open their own restaurant. After meeting with Paul to discuss his vision, Walt and his wife Karen decided to invest and help make his plans a reality. After an intensive search, they found the perfect location at Reston Town Center West. Paul has pulled from his family history and recipes and used his extensive experience to create a uniquely delectable casual dining experience and immortalize his high school nickname, Kook Dogg.