Storied Barbeque Franchise Unveils New Founder-Inspired Brand Initiatives at Coon Rapids Location During Grand Reopening Event
Famous Dave’s, an award-winning barbeque concept offering wood-smoked and off-the-grill entrée favorites, recently announced a strategic plan to elevate its franchise offering with 23 new menu items, all individually curated by founder and BBQ Hall of Famer, “Famous Dave” Anderson. This announcement comes on the heels of additional recent brand innovations including the introduction of a new smaller restaurant footprint, as well as investments in new technology including online ordering and third party delivery.
Founder Famous Dave is leading the charge in culinary innovation, focused on modernizing the menu offerings while staying true to the concept he founded nearly 25 years ago. Behind him is the new leadership team, with CEO Jeff Crivello at the helm, all focused on bringing the right franchisees into the system and positioning them for success.
“Barbeque is a labor-intensive undertaking, especially since we commit to using smokers in each of the restaurants and give each menu item the attention it needs to be truly Famous,” said Anderson “When I founded the concept decades ago, I was on a mission to deliver on the best barbeque in town. Because our franchisees are so committed to delivering on that same great taste, they’re always open to innovative offerings to deliver to their loyal guests.”
The new menu features crave worthy new dishes, including items like the Hillbilly Hubcaps, Cajun-seasoned fried jalapeño slices served with rémoulade sauce and Burnt Buttz, a smoked pork that is flash-fried and griddled in blackberry barbeque sauce. Famous Dave’s also launched a new value menu, featuring a mix of both barbeque and non-barbeque items served with smaller portion sizes at lower price points. In addition, Famous Dave’s is encouraging franchisees to customize menus to their region, with the option to select from various designs intended to provide more localization to the brand identity.
“We introduced flexibility in menu printing and design because we want them to be able to showcase different flavors that are specific to each of their regions in addition to the delicious and cravable core offerings we have” said Famous Dave’s CEO Jeff Crivello. “As we develop as a brand it’s critical that we continuously roll out innovative ideas that will keep us ahead of the curve in the industry and allow us to offer something new and exciting to our guests.”
In January of 2018, Famous Dave’s unveiled a smaller footprint restaurant design in El Paso, Texas, marking the first opening of the year. The new restaurant boasts a tighter and more efficient back-of-house kitchen with a contemporary front-of-house design.
To meet ever-changing customer preferences, Famous Dave’s also launched third-party delivery in August of 2017 at all corporate locations, with plans to roll out to franchise locations next, bringing the brand’s wide variety of barbeque offerings directly to the doors of its loyal customers. The launch of delivery allowed for a shift in customers and Famous Dave’s was able to tap into a younger demographic. Given the success of delivery and catering Famous Dave’s is now exploring a delivery only models. This new concept, which fits in just 500 to 800 square feet, compared to the 5,000 square feet of the traditional model, is designed for food preparation and quick delivery of the same fan-favorite tastes offered at full-service locations.
To unveil these new business innovations, Famous Dave’s will be hosting a grand reopening event from 5 – 8 p.m. CST on Thursday, April 19th at the Coon Rapids, Minnesota location at 3211 Northdale Boulevard. This event marks the first “founder-inspired” refresh and will be the unveiling of both the new menu and the re-designed restaurant space. Guests are invited to come try the new menu items within the completely revamped dining room and bar area and celebrate the reopening.
“As we move forward, we are focused on laying the groundwork for the future by constantly looking for ways to revamp our offerings to both our guests and franchisees,” said COO Geovannie Concepcion. “We are a nimble and active company, and we are prepared to get things to the market as quickly as possible to stay relevant in the space. With the help of our dedicated franchisees, our strong brand and culture, and our commitment to staying true to our roots, we’re excited to see what the future holds. Pairing the delivery and online ordering option with the new menu and store design will allow us to differentiate in the segment and attract new Famous Dave’s fans and franchise partners.”
Famous Dave’s of America, Inc. (NASDAQ:DAVE) was founded by ‘Famous Dave’ Anderson, whose passion for BBQ led him on a 25-year cross-country trek to find the best regional BBQ recipes in the country before opening the first Famous Dave’s in Hayward, Wisconsin. As of January 16, 2018, Famous Dave’s has 151 locations in 32 states and three countries including 16 company-owned and 135 franchise-operated restaurants. Famous Dave’s is known for its on-premise real pit smokers, scratch-recipe cooking, and 700 national and regional awards for everything from best ribs to best Bar-B-Que sauce to best cookbook. Famous Dave’s offers a wide variety of BBQ favorites including signature award-winning St. Louis-Style Ribs, Texas Beef Brisket, Georgia Chopped Pork, and Country-Roasted Chicken. Each seasoning blend was personally developed by Dave himself, after years of research and development to bring flavorful and authentic BBQ to his Guests. Scratch-recipes round out the menu with delicious sides and desserts that include meaty Wilbur Beans, Drunkin’ Apples, and Dave’s Famous Bread Pudding. For more information, visit famousdaves.com, facebook.com/famousdaves, or follow on Twitter @Famous_Daves.
