Haute Dad Club: A Tradition of Presence, Bagels, and Bonding
On a Sunday morning in Los Angeles, a group of dads gathers with their kids for a walk. It is hot, loud, imperfect, and full of life. Someone laughs, someone calls out for their dad, strollers roll forward. This is the Haute Dad Club.
JJ Cassiere started the group after realizing how many dads were already craving connection during these simple outings. “I started the Haute Dad Club because there are so many dads hitting me up about doing walks. So I decided to create a tight group of dads,” he shares. What began as casual meetups quickly formed into something more intentional. A monthly tradition built around showing up.
The name itself reflects the energy JJ wanted to create. Playful, confident, and a little tongue in cheek. The club has since grown to include merch, shared humor, and a sense of identity that makes dads feel proud to be part of it.
At its core, the Haute Dad Club is about community. It is a space where dads can connect with each other while being fully present with their kids. One dad describes the experience as, “male bonding time.” He explains, “The age ranges of babies and children are anywhere from a couple months to a couple of years, and so other dads are able to kind of give you life experience and tell you what to expect, which is really cool.”
That mix of ages creates space for real conversations. Advice is shared naturally, without pressure. Another dad puts it simply. “It’s when the dads can get together at least once a month and be able to joke around and just have a good time together.”
The walk itself is intentionally low stakes. There are no formal plans or expectations. “There’s no other obligations,” one dad says. “Go to Sam’s Bagels, get a bagel, eat, chat, and then we head back to our lives.”
For many of the dads, this time has become something they look forward to every month. A ritual that grounds them in both family and friendship. “Tradition, for me, is synonymous with family,” one dad shares. “And it’s really cool. I’m able to spend a lot of time with [my daughter] and with the other dads.”
JJ hopes that people who see the group out on Sundays understand what it represents. “I want people that see us walking around on Sundays to know that there are rad dads out there that are super dads, that love their kids and their family, and want to take every opportunity to spend time with their kids,” he says. “I think it’s a great monthly opportunity for dads to disconnect from the house and get outside in a positive way.”
As the final story in the Traditions series, the Haute Dad Club reminds us that traditions do not have to be passed down over generations to matter. Sometimes they are created in real time, born from a need for connection, and sustained by showing up. Month after month. Sunday after Sunday.
This story was created by Making Waves Project as part of Traditions: Stories We Keep, our series exploring the customs, rituals, and personal histories that connect us to our past and to each other. These stories remind us that tradition is alive and always evolving, shaped by the people who carry it forward.
By sharing these moments, we hope to honor the ways culture is passed down, reimagined, and kept alive, and to celebrate the roots that shape who we are today.
If you or someone you know has a tradition that deserves to be part of Making Waves Project, we would love to hear from you. And if you are a brand interested in partnering with us to help tell more stories like this, reach out at hello@makingwavesproject.com.
Follow along with Traditions: Stories We Keep on our Instagram and YouTube, and explore new stories at makingwavesproject.com/stories.
Photography by Robiee Ziegler
Produced by Katie Caro
Post Production by Kelly Budish
