Dallas — Dickey’s Barbecue Pit is rapidly expanding its non-traditional store count with the development of seven new food trucks units. The 79-year-old barbecue franchise reports an uptick in interest from both new and existing franchisees in its food truck model as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to make an impact on restaurant dining rooms.
“The pandemic is sure to have a lasting impact on consumer behavior and as a legacy brand it’s important to us that we continue to meet the evolving needs of our guests, while staying true to our quality and consistent competition-style barbecue,” says Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc.
Currently, the barbecue concept only has a handful of food truck operators; however, in the past 6 months, Dickey’s has coordinated three food truck agreements for Texas and one in Georgia, California, Ohio and Florida.
In Newark, Ohio, Dickey’s owner-operator Josh Wise recently inked his first food truck deal to expand his store’s presence in the community. “With this food truck, I am excited to take barbecue outside of our brick-and-mortar location and diversify my business,” he says.
In addition to food trucks, Dickey’s drive-thru locations are experiencing a 143% increase in that hand-off sales channel.
Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. was founded in 1941 by Travis Dickey. The Dallas-based, family-run barbecue franchise offers several slow-smoked meats and sides. The fast-casual concept has expanded worldwide with two international locations in the UAE and operates over 500 locations in 44 states. For more information, visit www.dickeys.com.
SOURCE: Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc.