World’s largest barbecue concept executes franchise deal to expand into Japan, adds 14 ghost kitchens to portfolio and opens 18 new locations in final quarter
Despite trying times for the industry, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit is driving significant international and domestic development to continue expanding across the globe.
The world’s largest barbecue concept finished 2020 with an agreement to bring Dickey’s slow-smoked barbecue to the Central Business District in Singapore. The announcement is the fifth installment of international franchise expansion executed this year, following development agreements in Australia, Japan, Myanmar and the Philippines.
Throughout 2020, ghost kitchens have become a key franchising opportunity for Dickey’s. After launching the nontraditional franchise model in August, Dickey’s opened its first two of eight ghost kitchens in the San Francisco Bay area in November. By the end of December, Dickey’s opened three more ghost kitchens in Chicago, Illinois; Oakland, California; and Orlando, Florida.
In Q4 alone, the Texas-style barbecue brand opened 18 new locations and signed 16 franchise deals to add 14 ghost kitchens, one brick-and-mortar and one delivery carry-out model to its portfolio.
“We’ve remained committed to pursuing excellence and expansion even in the face of this unimaginable time, and I believe the momentum of our resilience is positioning our brand for new heights as we enter our monumental 80th year in operations,” said Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc.
To learn more, follow Dickey’s Franchise on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. Download the Dickey’s Barbecue Pit app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc., the world’s largest barbecue concept, was founded in 1941 by Travis Dickey. For the past 80 years, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit has served millions of guests Legit. Texas. Barbecue. At Dickey’s, all our barbecued meats are smoked onsite in a hickory wood burning pit. Dickey’s proudly believes there’s no shortcut to true barbecue and it’s why they never say bbq. The Dallas-based, family-run barbecue franchise offers several slow-smoked meats and wholesome sides with ‘No B.S. (Bad Stuff)’ included. The fast-casual concept has expanded worldwide with two international locations in the UAE and operates over 500 locations in 44 states. In 2016, Dickey’s won first place on Fast Casual’s “Top 100 Movers and Shakers” list and was named a Top 500 Franchise by Entrepreneur in 2018. Dickey’s Barbecue Pit has also been recognized by Fox News, Franchise Times, The Wall Street Journal, QSR Magazine, Forbes Magazine and Nation’s Restaurant News. For more information, visit www.dickeys.com.
