Originally founded by Scot, Laura McAllister. The original pub and the subsequent group, was a direct result of Laura's vision and tenacity.

Laura initiated her entrepreneurial pursuits in her home town Glasgow, Scotland. She excelled in her first career of banking, but her passion for travel took priority and she headed off to Asia, in search of adventure. Laura was accompanied by her then partner, designer Andy Neilson. The couple, were to marry and divorce, but still maintain their close friendship and an ongoing business partnerships.

It was in Hong Kong that they settled and was in Hong Kong that Laura gave birth to her first MadDogs Pub in August 1984, in the heart of the business district of Central. This was to be the first business in their pub family that was to extend ultimately from Hong Kong to the shores of the US.

Laura had realized the potential to cater for the affluent ex-patriot population in Hong Kong. After the phenomenal success of MadDogs, Laura a year later launched Joe Bananas, a soon to become, legendary nightclub business in the social landscape of the province.

The rest is history with the group opening four MadDogs British Pubs along with café bars, nightclubs and even retail merchandise stores in Hong Kong. The group enjoyed unprecedented success at a time when it was also refining its brands for international consumption.

Laura had planned to open outlets in other Asian capitols, but when the opportunity to carry the brands to the US, Laura turned all her focus to San Antonio.