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IN THE NEWS

View the full segment <a href="https://vimeo.com/301253937">here</a> .&nbsp;

Good Morning Texas: Savor the Season with Dickey's 

View the full article <a href="https://www.fastcasual.com/articles/chipotle-dickeys-applebees-execs-offer-tips-on-ai-strategy-roi/">here</a> .&nbsp;
Artificial intelligence is fast becoming the latest tool in a fast casual's technology strategy but it requires a strong strategy and customer data insight in order to achieve a strong return on investment.
 
Simply, it's not a technology to just grab and plug in, revealed a panel talk at the recent three-day Fast Casual Executive Summit, held at the Hyatt Regency Lake Washington in early October.
 
The panel at the summit, which was run by Fast Casual's parent company, Networld Media Group, was moderated by Steve Bigari, CEO, of Syncq3 Restaurant Solutions, which sponsored the talk. Synq3 is a leading provider focused on order processing and guest relationships for the restaurant industry
 
Why now is the right time for AI
While AI requires a strategy, it's also not a technology that fast casual brands can afford to ignore. And some leading brands are already paving deep AI inroads, such as Pizza Hut and its self-driving cars and drones for delivery, and the burger-flipping robot at Caliburger. KFC is working on AI face recognition application to predict what customers may order.
 
The technology approaches are aimed at making the customer experience and journey happen wherever the customer is and making a purchase and experience easier than ever.
 
"Technology keeps getting smarter," explained Bigari as he kicked off the panel talk, adding "and restaurants are not behind when it comes to AI."
 
In fact, Bigari views AI and voice recognition technology as the "next frontier," given its wide and varied applications — from providing customers with recommendations to back-end operational efficiencies.
 
"It's about an all-out guest experience, always the same, even as much as things change," he noted.
 
One AI strategy in play by fast casual brands is using the Amazon Alexa voice recognition tool.
 
At Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants the tool is being tested with the goal of helping pit masters focus on their role and to streamline operations and help franchise operators keep point on daily business metrics, explained CEO Laura Rea Dickey.
 
Franchise operators can ask Alexa about sales at any point in the day, and pit masters can check with Alexa on rib cooking times.
 
"It's about making it simple, bite-size pieces, to drive user adoption [in the franchise]," said Dickey, who added that a critical aspect to making AI valuable is having a deep swell of data flowing into the organization.
 
The franchise built its own data warehouse platform and customer-reporting tools a few years back when it realized how critical customer and business operations data is to growth and sustainability. It's tapping AI to quell abandoned cars and online orders, not only to find out why a consumer disengaged but to entice the consumer back into the ordering process.
 
 
Dickey was joined on the panel by Scott Gladstone, vice president of strategy and development at Applebee's and Nicole West, vice president of digital strategy and product at Chipotle.
 
Where AI is coming into play with fast casuals
West shared how Chipotle is fast replacing paper tools with digital tools and driving faster and more efficient operations with AI.
 
"The technology automation is not only making business more efficient, but the team also loves it and it's simple to use," she said.
 
"AI's role is a piece of the overall [technology] journey," she added, noting Chipotle took an intentional step back to ensure that it knew where it wanted to be and to use AI to boost its agility.
 
"You can [with AI] pick and choose the right thing you want to explore and then weave it in," she said, adding AI is helping Chipotle drive a more personalized engagement with the customer, beyond the order interaction.
 
Applebee's is laying an AI platform on top of its data lake, with a focus on getting a deep view on guest interactions and attaining as much business operations insight to boost efficiency, shared Gladstone.
 
Improving operations efficiency, explained Bigari, is crucial for fast casuals as the industry is being challenged by a very low unemployment rate, which is making it tougher than ever to hire and retain team members.
 
"There is a need for a model for efficiency, on the prep side, on the ordering side, to take lower-value activities out of team members' hands," he said. Yet, he stressed, it's "not cost reduction, it's efficiency."
 
And that doesn't mean AI is eliminating jobs, Dickey said.
 
"We're adding more job opportunities," she said, noting new roles are needed in other units, such as development and support.
 
Implementing AI, and achieving a strong ROI, said Gladstone, requires having an end state in mind before technology deployment.
 
"There is a tendency to say 'let's do it' and see how the new thing works out. But with AI you need to think of how it plugs into the customer experience and your strategy," he advised.
 
Panel speakers also recommended that brands take an incremental strategy and use AI in small chunks and to not be afraid of slowing down if needed.
 
"Focus on the pain point, then look for a solution," said Gladstone.

Chipotle, Dickey's, Applebee's Execs Share Tips on AI Strategy

View the full article <a href="https://www.qsrmagazine.com/reports/delivery-dilemma-rages-restaurants">here</a> .&nbsp;
Dickey’s partners with third-party vendors for delivery but has been testing an in-house platform since 2017.
Rising consumer demand for off-premises dining has forced nearly all quick-service and fast-casual brands to at least consider a foray into delivery. Nowadays, third-party services are no longer fringe experiments, but rather a mainstream piece of the restaurant business. Their popularity has led many brands to jump on board—often with multiple third-party platforms—lured by promises of incremental sales growth and expanded customer bases. Other restaurant brands are working on exclusive deals with such services to better control the delivery experience and keep costs down. And some brands have started to turn away from third parties in favor of building in-house delivery systems of their own.
 
Whatever their approach, operators say they can’t afford to ignore delivery.
 
“It really comes down to the consumer wanting the service,” says Jersey Mike’s president Hoyt Jones. “It’s almost a necessity anymore that in the restaurant business, you’re going to have to adopt the service one way or another.”
 
Jersey Mike’s is among the hundreds of restaurant brands partnering with outside delivery providers.
 
“It’s hard to manage an in-house business, a carry-out business, and then a delivery business,” he says. “We’re going to let the Ubers, the Postmates, and the DoorDashes take care of the driver pool and make sure they’re happy. We’ll make great subs and provide them as quickly as we can.”
 
For the most part, the company is pleased with the various third-party services it’s using. Jersey Mike’s is mostly signing on to the larger outfits, working to leverage its inventory of 1,500 stores with the big players in the space.&nbsp;
 
While some of the changes Jersey Mike’s made to accommodate delivery were minor—for example, it moved away from a foil wrap two years ago to prevent hot subs from growing soggy, and it’s tinkering with tamper-proof seals on its bags—others were more significant. The company is developing a new store prototype, one that could have a dedicated pickup space for carryout customers and third-party drivers while also reshaping one of the lines to better service off-premises orders.
 
 
DOMINO'S
After 58 years, Domino’s is still learning ways to perfect its delivery service.
 
It’s easy to see the appeal of third-party delivery: Restaurants simply sign up and can quickly offer delivery to convenience-minded customers without ever hiring drivers or procuring vehicles. But even as third-party has transformed into a multi-billion-dollar business, many restaurant operators remain frustrated with the high fees charged by those services and struggle to make sense of the tight margins.
 
Little Greek Fresh Grill has hiked its prices on delivery orders to help offset the high fees charged by third-party partners. Two stores have tested in-house delivery services, but most don’t have the volume to support such infrastructure, says company president Nick Vojnovic. So the corporate team is recommending franchisees sign up with third-party delivery providers—albeit reluctantly.
 
“It’s kind of a margin killer,” Vojnovic says. “They’re keeping 32 percent of the money. In the restaurant business, your margins are maybe 15 or 20 percent, so that’s kind of killing it.”
 
Similar dynamics have driven Wayback Burgers to build its own delivery solution. Senior vice president Pat Conlin wouldn’t reveal many details about Wayback’s upcoming program, which the company planned to unveil to franchisees this fall, but he expects the in-house solution will wean the burger chain off third-party vendors.
 
“We’ve been looking at all kinds of alternatives to the third-party guys. I’ve been working for the last four to five months on our own alternative to a delivery solution that we think is going to be pretty significant,” Conlin says. “We think it will be a game-changer for the delivery business.”
 
The 150-unit chain is motivated by better controlling the delivery experience and avoiding the steep fees charged by third-party services, which generally range between 20 and 30 percent, Conlin says.
 
One way to realize savings is by working with only those systems that integrate into a restaurant’s existing POS system, says Justin McCoy, vice president of marketing for Wisconsin-based Cousins Subs. Third-party delivery providers charge a premium for recruiting customers through their sites and apps. But Cousins Subs worked to integrate third-party delivery through the company’s existing website.
 
 
DOORDASH
Wingstop said it would introduce delivery at new stores only after DoorDash shows that it can meet certain thresholds of speed and driver coverage.
 
Aside from securing more favorable pricing, that model avoids another major drawback of third-party delivery: lack of data. Restaurants don’t own any of the customer data if it’s managed through the third-party platform. That can complicate marketing and messaging, and excludes delivery orders from customer loyalty programs.
 
“You have to make a determination if you want to own your data or if you’re not going to own your data,” McCoy says. “You have to look long and hard at the financials in terms of what you’re doing.”
 
McCoy suggests operators who are exploring delivery first do a deep dive on their own POS systems. Finding third-party providers that integrate into the existing restaurant framework also keeps stores from being overtaken by multiple vendor platforms—one for Grubhub, one for Uber Eats, one for DoorDash, etc.
 
 
“There are pictures out there of operators that have registers and five or six tablets from third-party providers,” McCoy says. “I think it starts to pull away from who you are as a brand.”
 
Cousins Subs has integrated delivery into the 100-unit system in several distinct ways. Its primary play is through partnering with a recommended third-party provider that’s integrated into its systems. Meanwhile, a downtown Milwaukee store has introduced a bicycle delivery service, while another store is testing an in-house delivery service complete with Cousins-branded cars.
 
Of course, in-house delivery creates new complications.
 
“One of the things you have the biggest challenges with in today’s labor market is not only finding qualified staff, but they also need a clean driving record and they need a reliable vehicle,” McCoy says. “Those things can be really challenging. ... We do very well at that location, but we have not fully expanded that to other locations yet. It’s something we’ve been contemplating how we want to do it.”
 
While it’s not a franchisor recommendation, Cousins knows franchisees may sign up with third-party delivery providers independently, so executives have met with all of the major players to understand them just in case franchisees decide to partner with them, McCoy says.
 
He expects that most brands will eventually transition to solely third-party delivery or wholly in-house delivery programs. But for now, Cousins, like many operators, is working to figure out how best to play in the ever-competitive delivery business.
 
“It’s very fluid,” he says. “It’s continuing to change and evolve, and it’s something you need to stay on top of.”
 
In its third-quarter town-hall meetings with Dickey’s Barbecue Pit operators, delivery dominated the conversation, says CEO Laura Rea Dickey. The chain jumped aggressively into third-party services about two years ago, seeking the best-in-class provider in each market. Sales shot up, and now about a fifth of the company’s sales come from third-party delivery.
 
But the nation’s largest barbecue chain doesn’t love the fees or lack of control that come with delivery providers. That’s why it began testing in-house delivery in 2017, and it plans to roll out direct delivery to all stores by the fall.
 
Dickey expects the brand to stick with a hybrid model over the short-term. But she’d ideally like to capitalize on the merits of both: leveraging the large audience of the third-party providers while also pointing new customers to the more profitable in-house delivery program.
 
“I would absolutely love to see every owner-operator be able to maintain control of their guests directly,” she says. “I would love to continue to use third-party to extend our reach, but be able to convert the majority of them to our app, our services.”
 
 
MCALISTER'S DELI
About a third of McAlister’s sales are for off-premises eating; about 10 percent is from delivery.
 
She urges those who are hesitant to jump into delivery to redefine how they think about it. For Dickey’s, it’s essentially an evolution of its robust carryout and catering business. “This is a new way to think about catering,” Dickey says. “It’s small catering orders.”
 
But not much about delivery is simple.
 
After 58 years, Domino’s is still learning ways to perfect its delivery service, says Tim McIntyre, the company’s executive vice president of communications and investor relations. He says the success of pizza delivery has set an expectation of reliability and speed for other restaurants that is tough to match.
 
With third-party delivery, restaurants aren’t totally responsible for clearing that high bar. And there’s no need for a huge lineup of drivers and cars. But the proliferation of third parties has made the technology a commoditized product. Conversely, Domino’s owns and designs its own technology and can leverage that as a differentiator. “In order for it to be a competitive advantage, you have to own it,” McIntyre says. “If you use a third party, so can everybody else.”
 
While the industry clamors for the growing pot of convenience-minded delivery customers, McIntyre says it’s important to remember the base of customers still wanting to come in and pick up food for off-premises occasions. Delivery customers will pay a premium for convenience, but carryout customers are more value-driven, he says. They often want to witness their food being prepared and see for themselves how clean a store looks. During football season, Domino’s plans to run separate television ads targeting the carryout and delivery fan bases.
 
“They’re different customers,” McIntyre says. “People are either exclusively delivery or exclusively carryout.”
 
At McAlister’s Deli, more than 200 of the brand’s 430 units partner with outside delivery services. Yet as the share of business going to delivery increases, McAlister’s president Joe Guith says, there is “very much a beating of the drum” from franchisees who want to see costs go down.
 
“We have not found a balance with that right now,” he says. “When it was a smaller piece of business, it was largely incremental, and you felt OK about it. And because it was a smaller percentage of the business, it wasn’t that big of a deal.”
 
About a third of McAlister’s sales are for off-premises eating; about 10 percent is from delivery, Guith says. &nbsp;
 
To adapt, the company has redesigned to-go packaging and repurposed the second line in many kitchens to solely service off-premises orders during peak times. It’s also added to-go pick-up stations in restaurants. As dining behaviors change, Guith says, dining rooms will shrink by 10–15 percent.
 
“I think some players doing delivery today will stop because the fees and economics they’re doing just don’t make sense." — Lance Richards, Wingstop's vice president of guest experience.
 
The growth of third-party delivery has particularly expanded the dinner business for the traditionally lunch-heavy concept. McAlister’s has adjusted employee schedules to accommodate.
 
Even as the company recognizes the importance of delivery, Guith doesn’t expect to make a play at in-house delivery outside of the catering business.
 
“That really requires you to build your whole system around that, from your real estate strategy to your menu to marketing—everything—to really make that work in a way that gets you enough revenue moving across that channel to justify an investment in that infrastructure,” he says. “Outside of pizza and some of these sandwich concepts like Jimmy John’s, I don’t think you’re going to see a lot of people build their own infrastructure.”
 
From early on, Wingstop executives determined it made more sense to partner with a delivery expert rather than try to reinvent the wheel themselves.
 
“It makes sense for us to do what we do best, and that is to make great wings,” says Lance Richards, the brand’s vice president of guest experience.
 
The Dallas-based company met with various third-party operators and tested GrubHub, Uber Eats, and DoorDash in Las Vegas stores. Through that process, Wingstop tracked delivery times, sales figures, customer satisfaction rates, and other metrics. “We look at the entire experience step by step,” Richards says. “If we’re going to introduce a third party, it’s got to be one we trust.”
 
Now Wingstop is partnering exclusively with DoorDash as it expands delivery beyond its initial test stores. Wingstop executives, well aware of the quality control concerns related to third-party operators, believe a close partnership with one provider affords stores greater control over the whole experience. The chicken-wing chain will introduce delivery at new stores only after DoorDash shows that it can meet certain thresholds of speed and driver coverage, he says.
 
There’s no doubt that delivery is growing quickly, Richards says, and customers clearly want more options. But the landscape is rapidly evolving; he expects more shakeup in the world of third-party delivery. And even as Wingstop builds out an exclusive partnership, it’s unclear whether that will be a permanent model for the brand.
 
“I think some players doing delivery today will stop because the fees and economics they’re doing just don’t make sense,” he says. “I think people who aren’t doing third party-delivery today might start because it will start to work for them. ... I don’t even want to speculate what Wingstop will be doing in five years.”

QSR: The Delivery Dilemma Rages On for Restaurants

View the full article <a href="https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/dickey-s-barbecue-pit-offering-holidays-feasts-go">here</a> .&nbsp;
Dickey’s Barbecue Pit celebrates the most wonderful time of the year with guests by giving them the gift of spending less time in the kitchen and more time with friends and family this holiday season.
 
“As a third-generation family owned business, we truly value the importance of family and want our guests to the feel that in everything we do,” says Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. and wife of Roland Dickey, Jr., the third-generation Dickey’s owner. “Our Holiday Feast options are crafted with care to ensure our guests have the most delicious and convenient holiday dinner with their loved ones.”
 
Dickey’s offers a variety of holiday menu items for guests from full Feasts to à la carte options. The Holiday Feast includes the guests’ choice of a whole Smoked Turkey, Cajun Fried Turkey, Spiral Cut Ham or Prime Rib along with classic sides such as cornbread dressing, green beans, baked potato casserole and a dozen buttery rolls. The Holiday Feast feeds 10-12 people. For guests looking to have a smaller meal or who would prefer to build their own spread, the Dickey’s holiday menu items are sold à la carte.
 
“My dad, Roland Dickey, Sr., the second-generation Dickey’s owner, began offering holiday meals more than 20 years ago after he received many requests from our loyal guests,” says Roland Dickey, Jr., CEO of Dickey’s Capital Group. “Today, we continue the family tradition of selling these delicious meals and are proud to expand our holiday menu to offer more options for our guests to choose from.”
 
Dickey’s guests can purchase their Holiday Feast or à la carte options at their local Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, online at dickeys.com or through the Dickey’s App. Dickey’s holiday menu items are prepared in-store, and require heating before serving. Guests will receive heating instructions for their meal.

QSR: Dickey’s Barbecue Pit Offering Holidays Feasts To-Go

View the full article <a href="https://www.athensreview.com/news/local_news/hurst-to-open-dickey-s-franchise-in-athens/article_0b7a8b2a-e464-11e8-a07c-773e917d64d4.html">here</a> .&nbsp;
Dickey’s Barbecue Pit continues to expand in its home state of Texas with a new location in Athens that will open in a few weeks by franchisee Matt Hurst.
 
“Dickey’s Barbecue Pit has been family-owned and operated since 1941, and we consider each of our owners as a part of our family,” said Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants and head of the Dickey’s Barbecue Pit franchise, in a press release. “We are always proud when we have new franchisees join our team, especially when they are opening in our home state.”
 
With more than 20 years in the restaurant industry, Hurst said he looks forward to bringing Dickey’s slow-smoked barbecue to the residents of his hometown of Athens with his parents, Robert and Stacy.
 
“Athens is in need of a barbecue option like Dickey’s that offers guests only the highest quality, slow-smoked meats. My parents and I chose to open a Dickey’s franchise because of their rich history and strong support of their franchisees.”
 
The Dallas-based family-run franchise offers several slow-smoked meats and wholesome sides with “No B.S. (Bad Stuff)' included. The fast-casual concept has expanded worldwide and includes more than 500 locations in 44 states. In 2016, Dickey's won first place on Fast Casual's "Top 100 Movers and Shakers" list and in 2018 Dickey’s Barbecue Pit made the Top 10. Dickey's Barbecue Pit has also been recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine, Franchise Times and Nation's Restaurant News.

Athens Daily Review: Hurst to open Dickey’s franchise in Athens

View the full article <a href="https://www.franchising.com/news/20181108_savor_this_holiday_season_with_dickeyrsquos_barbec.html">here</a> .&nbsp;
Dallas, TX - Dickey’s Barbecue Pit celebrates the most wonderful time of the year with guests by giving them the gift of spending less time in the kitchen and more time with friends and family this holiday season.
“As a third-generation family owned business, we truly value the importance of family and want our guests to the feel that in everything we do,” says Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. and wife of Roland Dickey, Jr., the third-generation Dickey’s owner. “Our Holiday Feast options are crafted with care to ensure our guests have the most delicious and convenient holiday dinner with their loved ones.”
Dickey’s offers a variety of holiday menu items for guests from full Feasts to à la carte options. The Holiday Feast includes the guests’ choice of a whole Smoked Turkey, Cajun Fried Turkey, Spiral Cut Ham or Prime Rib along with classic sides such as cornbread dressing, green beans, baked potato casserole and a dozen buttery rolls. The Holiday Feast feeds 10-12 people. For guests looking to have a smaller meal or who would prefer to build their own spread, the Dickey’s holiday menu items are sold à la carte.
“My dad, Roland Dickey, Sr., the second-generation Dickey’s owner, began offering holiday meals more than 20 years ago after he received many requests from our loyal guests,” says Roland Dickey, Jr., CEO of Dickey’s Capital Group. “Today, we continue the family tradition of selling these delicious meals and are proud to expand our holiday menu to offer more options for our guests to choose from.”
Dickey’s guests can purchase their Holiday Feast or à la carte options at their local Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, online at dickeys.com or through the Dickey’s App. Dickey’s holiday menu items are prepared in-store, and require heating before serving. Guests will receive heating instructions for their meal.

Franchising.com: Savor this Holiday Season with Dickey’s Barbecue Pit

View the full article <a href="http://rddmag.com/development/1935-dickey’s-barbecue-pit-to-expand-n-y-footprint">here</a> .&nbsp;
New Dickey’s Barbecue Pit franchisee Jerry Stephan plans to bring 21 Dickey’s locations to New York state.
 
&nbsp;Stephan will own and operate two of the locations, with the first slated to open in spring 2019 in Long Island.
 
Stephan brings more than 15 years of franchise experience and more than 40 years of construction experience to the task of expanding the barbecue chain’s footprint in New York.
 
The fast-casual concept has more than 500 locations in 44 states.

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit Expands Its Presence in New York

View the full article <a href="https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/dickey-s-barbecue-pit-bring-21-locations-new-york">here</a> .
Dickey’s Barbecue Pit franchisee Jerry Stephan plans to bring 21 Dickey’s locations to New York. As a new member of the Dickey’s family, Jerry plans to develop the Dickey’s Barbecue Pit presence throughout the state. Jerry will own and operate two of the locations, with his first slated to open in Spring 2019 in Long Island.
 
“At Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, we truly are a family business and we love to see the success of our franchisees,” says Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. “We look forward to our partnership with Jerry as it is very exciting to have him as both a franchisee and as a partner who will help us choose the best Owner Operators and site locations for the new stores coming to New York.”
 
With more than 15 years in the franchising business and more than 40 years in the construction business, Jerry looks forward to combining two of his passions at Dickey’s.
 
“I was looking for a new restaurant concept to bring to Long Island and after doing research on the Dickey’s Barbecue Pit franchise I knew that it was a great fit,” says Jerry. “After being in the industry for a while, I really liked how Dickey’s business model is set up and, of course, I love the slow-smoked barbecue.”

QSR: Dickey’s Barbecue Pit to Bring 21 Locations to New York

View the full article <a href="https://dallasinnovates.com/o-canada-dallas-based-dickeys-barbecue-pit-is-going-global/">here</a> .&nbsp;
Founded 77 years ago in Dallas, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit has officially made itself an international name.
 
With nearly 600 stores, Dickey’s Barbecue pit is the “world’s largest barbecue chain,” and they are on a mission to make sure that the world tastes Texas barbecue done right.
 
This week, Dickey’s announced that it would be expanding into 20 locations in various cities across Canada: Edmonton, Alberta, Calgary, Alberta, Regina, Saskatchewan, and Saskatoon. This is the first time the BBQ franchise has migrated onto Canadian soil, with a predicted landing of early 2019.
 
The news follows Dickey’s first international debut made earlier this month at the Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi. The Middle East-based Dickey’s restaurants will be operated by Serenity Hospitality, an Abu Dhabi-based hospitality group in the food and drink sector, which has later plans to operate franchises in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and Lebanon. That’s a lot of barbecue.&nbsp;
 
“Consumer confidence continues to increase, and people are willing to let others handle the cooking,” CEO of Dickey’s Capital Group, Roland Dickey, Jr., said in a statement. “The fact that Dickey’s is able to expand at this rate internationally without taking any private equity is a testament to hardworking Dickey’s franchisees, both nationally and internationally, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit commitment to quality, and to our ability to find the right partners.”
 
The international restaurant features an open kitchen, so the designated Pit Masters are able to show customers what flavorful concoctions they’re cooking. Pit Masters are all trained in the same way and still use some family recipes, cooking all of their meats slowly (14 hours for smoked beef, to be exact) at a low temperature overnight at every location.
 
The Abu Dhabi menu has been customized for the overseas location — with new dishes like beef ribs, beef sausages, and smoked lamb — but the chefs were trained in the U.S., so Dickey’s favorites will still be served up. Dickey’s said that three state-of-the-art hickory wood smokers have all been imported from the U.S. to ensure the taste of Texas barbecue was authentic, even in the Middle East. And, Dickey’s won’t be the lone taste of Texas at the three-story Yas Mall, as other Dallas-based chains like Texas de Brazil, Chili’s, and Which Wich have locations there, too.
 
World domination
The chain restaurant was founded and is still owned by the Dickey family, with their original location off Knox/Henderson and North Central Expressway still in commission today. Dickey’s prides itself in being a family run business, and all of their locations have a Texas feel. Each year, the restaurant franchise says it goes through over 10 million pounds of brisket, but with the massive expansion, that number is about to go up even more. In addition to Canada and the Middle East, Dickey’s is expecting to open six new locations this month across the U.S., including Hawaii for the first time.&nbsp;
 
In 2010, Dickey’s had their sights set on conquering the country — but, back then, the company owned seven stores and oversaw 119 franchisees in a total of 22 states. Roland Dickey Sr. and Jr. spoke with D Magazine on their plans to grow across the nation, one store at a time. The countrywide push was prepared carefully and tediously, with significant capital investments made in information technology, marketing, advertising, construction, real estate management, logistics, accounting, and field operations support.
 
“A company is either growing or shrinking,” Dickey Jr. told D. “We’re blazing new trails. No one has ever done what we’re doing.”&nbsp;
 
But initially, there was hesitation about a national presence, with Dickey Sr. asking if Dickey Jr. was “insane” when the idea was proposed. As a large, nationwide chain, the Dickeys wanted to keep their ‘soul,’ so they focused on location and recruiting and supporting the right owner-operators. The goal in 2010? To reach 500 stores.
 
Dickey Jr. had his sights set on one thing: “World domination, one store at a time.”
 
Now, nearly a decade later, the fast-casual concept has done it — garnering around 520 locations, worldwide.

Dickey's Barbecue Pit Expands Globally, Starting in Canada

View the full story <a href="https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2018/10/dickeys_barbeque_pit_to_open_o.html">here</a> .&nbsp;
KALAMAZOO, MI -- A restaurant that combines classic barbecue food with a fast and casual atmosphere is set to open in November on Stadium Drive. &nbsp;
 
Joining 13 other locations in Michigan, the Dickey's Barbecue Pit belongs to a nationwide chain that was established in 1941 in Dallas, Texas.&nbsp;
 
The restaurant will open Thursday, Nov. 8, franchisee Krage Fox said.&nbsp;
 
Fox, a Western Michigan University alumnus and graduate of Portage Public Schools, bought the franchise rights a year and half ago, he said.&nbsp;
 
One space has already been leased to Dickey's Barbecue Pit, a Dallas-based restaurant concept.
 
He also has the rights to locations and plans to bring barbecue to Portage, Holland, St. Joseph and on Gull Road on the east side of Kalamazoo, he said.&nbsp;
 
But first, the Stadium Drive restaurant and its 15 employees have last-minute preparations before the grand opening next week.&nbsp;
 
Dickey's barbecue includes all the fixin's like cornbread, beans and coleslaw. The restaurant serves various meats including pulled pork, beef brisket, chicken and turkey.&nbsp;
 
The chain recently opened a location near Muskegon, and those owners plan to open a second Muskegon-area restaurant soon. Most of the other locations in the state can be found in Southeast Michigan, though Dickey's also has restaurants in Coldwater, Rockford and Traverse City.
 
A local entrepreneur is planning to open two Dickey's Barbecue Pit fast-food restaurants this year, with one opening in late May at the former Roosevelt Park Wendy's
 
The combination of a fast-paced casual eatery with southern-inspired barbecue is what brought Fox to the franchise.&nbsp;
 
The location, 10 minutes from downtown and less than 2 miles from Western Michigan University sits on Stadium Drive, a main artery into Kalamazoo.
 
"There's a lot of traffic on this road," Fox said. "It was the right opportunity at the right time."&nbsp;
 
The building at 4212 Stadium Drive has connections to Fox beyond the location of his first restaurant.
 
In 1994, he took his wife on their first date to what used to be Player's Pub, in the exact building where his business will open in November.&nbsp;
 
The space once occupied by both Player's Pub and an Italian bistro called Chianti was re-opened in 2000 as Gallagher's, an Irish-themed restaurant and sports bar. Another round of redevelopment, announced in 2017, aimed to transform the Gallagher's property into a newly renovated plaza called The Shops at Stadium Village.
 
"They could expect to see the first changes on the Gallagher's building sometime in November," said investment partner Dan Burkett.
 
Dickey's Barbecue Pit will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day except holidays, Fox said.&nbsp;
 
The set-up is "fast paced, high energy and really fun," he said. Much like a Qdoba Mexican Eats, patrons will order their food at a counter before taking a seat in the restaurant.&nbsp;
 
"Getting food and getting home," he said.
 
The new restaurant will place a heavy focus on catering large meals, Fox said. He said the brand has a "youthful spirit" that he said people should expect to grow.&nbsp;
 
"Dickey's is barbecue for the masses," Fox said.&nbsp;
 
The restaurant is family-friendly and the "meat speaks for itself," he said.&nbsp;
 
Prior to opening his first franchise, Fox was selling commercial vehicles in Plainwell. He worked for nearly two decades in the pharmaceutical field before that, he said.
 
Dickey's Barbecue Pit in Portage is scheduled to open next fall and expansions to Holland and St. Joseph are planned for 2020 and 2021 respectively.&nbsp;

MLive: WMU alum brings Dickey's Barbecue Pit to Kalamazoo

View the full article <a href="https://1851franchise.com/3-steps-franchisees-should-take-to-make-a-franchise-their-own-2708085#author">here</a> .
With the purchase of a franchise, unit owners are gaining access to a proven system that needs to be adhered to in order to achieve financial and organizational success. That being said, franchisees have ample opportunity to draw on their own experiences to give their business a personal touch while still operating within the required parameters. Taking steps to execute their business plan and define their vision within the established framework provided by franchisors challenges franchisees to be unique in service offerings and cater to the entrepreneurial ambition that led them to franchise ownership in the first place.
 
First, franchisees should make every effort to embody the brand’s mission on a unit level to dictate what is expected of employees, leading by example. “I run my stores with the understanding I need to be at my best every day,” said Bill Zimmerman, a Dickey’s Barbecue Pit franchisee with locations in Kenosha, Wisconsin and Gurnee, Illinois.
 
“I treat the people on my team with respect and do everything I can to make sure they understand the business and what the franchise is about. I also place tons of emphasis on customer service and delivering on what our guests want,” he added.
 
Franchisees must also seize the opportunity to define processes and innovate creatively in the areas where available. Jana Frank, a Mathnasium franchisee in Oak Park, Illinois, found room for personal input within the after-school learning franchise’s business model and made the most of it. “I’m very lucky to be part of a franchise that provides flexibility in how I’m allowed to run the classes offered at my center,” Frank said.
 
Previously a classroom teacher, Frank was given a specific curriculum and procedures she was required to follow but used her teaching background to define specific methodology and approaches for her teachers to use. Additionally, Frank developed new programs to add to her center’s offering.
 
“Mathnasium’s core program serves students in grades 2 through 8. I added preschool and high school programs as well as programs for adults going back to school to address math needs at every level,” Frank said.
 
Further, franchisees benefit greatly from the personal impact that comes from community involvement. The community in which a franchise operates is unique to each unit, so franchisees should capitalize on this point of differentiation to make the franchise their own.
 
“Connecting with the community was very important to me from the minute I opened,” Zimmerman said. To do so, he instated discounts for police officers, firefighters and veterans, and partnered with a local school to begin an internship program for people with intellectual disabilities. “It’s a huge part of what I do and also represents the spirit of what I see Dickey’s Barbecue Pit doing on the corporate level,” he added.
 
Frank agreed, saying, “Establishing relationships with both parents and students has really helped my business become a part of the community. When you focus the service you provide on fostering those kinds of connections, the local impact is strong.&nbsp;

3 Steps to Make a Franchise Your Own, According to 1851 Magazine

View the full article <a href="https://1851franchise.com/3-tips-on-picking-the-right-franchise-for-you-2708033">here</a> .&nbsp;
The wealth of options and information available on thousands of different franchise opportunities can be daunting for anyone considering taking the plunge into franchise ownership. From the very beginning all the way throughout the assessment process, it’s imperative that prospective franchisees know how the brands they are considering signing on with fit with their unique needs and expectations.
 
Finding the right franchise brand is just as much an emotional decision as it is a financial one, but with the proper approach, any prospective franchisee can arrive at the ideal match.
 
Do your research
 
Dickey’s Barbecue Pit franchisee Bill Zimmerman said that when he made the decision to leave his career in truck logistics to start his own business, he knew he needed to sign on with a franchise that was well-established but also poised for growth. Zimmerman began his search by turning to the internet, every prospective franchisee’s best friend during this important discovery process.
 
Uncovering and weighing quantitative metrics provided in a franchise brand’s FDD, including statistics regarding revenue model, turnover and consumer satisfaction, is an integral step in the process of selecting a franchise that best fits one’s means and business goals.
 
“I took a lot of time to learn about the history, growth prospects and opportunities of each brand I was considering,” he said. “When I had an idea that Dickey’s Barbecue Pit was the brand for me, I started visiting locations and calling stores across the country. I contacted 7 or 8 owners and each shared something different.”
 
Code Ninjas franchisee Christina Lazar employed a similar tactic in her pursuit to provide her tech-minded son with an extracurricular activity that engaged and challenged him. &nbsp;
 
“There were no kids’ coding centers in our immediate area, so I explored all of my options by flying out to centers across the country to assess the franchise opportunities,” she said. After looking at several different models, Lazar, a former classroom teacher, knew the key to finding the best option for her was in the details of the curriculum.
 
“Code Ninjas was fun and engaging above all else. The curriculum was developed in a cohesive, evolving manner so a beginner could learn incrementally, which stood out from the piecemeal offerings from other kids coding franchises,” Lazar said.
 
Consider your role
 
Before deciding on a franchise, prospective owners should conduct their own personal evaluation to nail down how involved they want to be in the business. Deciding between a hands-on role versus employing a general manager to handle day-to-day operations matters when it comes to the franchise selection process.
 
“I knew I wanted to be a part of a franchise that allowed me to use my background in management and gave me the ability to make decisions to affect the success of my stores,” Zimmerman said.
 
“Prospective franchisees need to ask themselves whether they want input or need a turnkey model that they just plug into,” Lazar noted. “As one of Code Ninjas’ first franchisees, the turnkey model was pretty much negated. We wanted input, feedback opportunities and to be a part of the development side of the operation,” she added.
 
Engage your passion
 
Franchisees gain the most out of ventures in entrepreneurship with franchise brands when they have an active personal interest in their business. Those exploring franchise ownership should consider themselves and how a brand represents them. Meshing with the franchisee community and exemplifying or identifying with brand values leads to an emotional investment that inspires success.
 
“As a former classroom teacher and independent business owner of a tutoring center, kids, education and my son’s future made sense,” Lazar said. “Being passionate about the franchise I was opening allowed me to push through obstacles and bumps in the road.”
 
For Zimmerman, his passion for barbecue was a significant factor in his decision-making process. “I had been doing my own smoking for 20 years prior and had a great love for barbecue,” he said. “Being able to deliver a product that led to guests’ satisfaction was of great importance to me."

1851 Magazine:  3 Tips on Picking the Right Franchise for You

View the full article <a href="https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/dickey-s-barbecue-pit-giving-back-local-first-responders">here</a> .&nbsp;
The Dickey Foundation, the Dickey’s Barbecue Pit charitable organization, sets out to support local first responders across the nation. This year, participating Dickey’s Barbecue Pit locations are seeking donations from guests the week surrounding National First Responder Day, October 28.
 
From October 26 to November 2, Dickey’s guests can donate to their first responders at their local Dickey’s location and receive a “badge” to sign and hang on the wall.
 
“At Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, we are honored to have the privilege of working closely with our first responders and giving back to them in any way we can,” says Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. “The Dickey Foundation has recently taken on amazing initiatives that could only be carried out with the support and donations of our community, including outfitting our local Dallas Police Department with top of line ballistic vests, supporting our Houston neighbors after Hurricane Harvey and much more.”
 
To receive the “badge”, guests are encouraged to donate $1 at participating Dickey’s Barbecue Pit locations. Guests always have the opportunity to donate to The Dickey Foundation supporting local first responders online or in-store.

QSR: Give Back With Dickey's

View the full article <a href="https://www.fastcasual.com/news/dickeys-fires-up-canadian-expansion/">here</a> .&nbsp;
Dickey's Barbecue Pit will expand into the Canadian market for the first time in late 2019, bringing Texas barbecue to 20 stores in Edmonton, Alberta, Calgary, Alberta, Regina, Saskatchewan and Saskatoon, according to a company press release.
 
This follows Dickey's Barbecue Pit opening its first international Dickey's restaurant location in Abu Dhabi earlier this month. The Abu Dhabi location is the first of 45 Dickey's restaurants across the Middle East that will be operated by Serenity Hospitality, a Middle Eastern hospitality group. The group plans to open and operate Dickey's franchises in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Lebanon.
 
"Consumer confidence continues to increase, and people are willing to let others handle the cooking," said Roland Dickey, Jr., CEO of Dickey's Capital Group. "The fact that Dickey's is able to expand at this rate internationally without taking any private equity is a testament to hardworking Dickey's franchisees, both nationally and internationally, Dickey's Barbecue Pit commitment to quality, and to our ability to find the right partners."
 
Dickey's Barbecue Pit has been in operation for 77 years and remains a privately held, third-generation family-owned business with more than 500 locations across the United States. In addition to expanding into Canada and across the Middle East, Dickey's Barbecue Pit is opening six locations in October across the U.S., including in Hawaii.
 
The first international Dickey's Barbecue Pit location in Abu Dhabi is operated by Serenity Hospitality and led by its CEO, Youssef El Habbal, who has more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry. The restaurant features an open kitchen, so customers can watch the pit masters at work.
 
The menu has been customized for customers in Abu Dhabi and includes Dickey's barbecue favorites including 14-hour slow-smoked beef brisket, smoked chicken and turkey and savory sides, such as mac and cheese, barbecue beans and creamy spinach. New dishes include beef ribs, an array of beef sausages and a regional favorite — smoked lamb. Three state-of-the-art smokers that use hickory wood have all been imported from the United States to bring a taste of authentic Texas barbecue to the Middle East, according to the release.

Fast Casual: Dickey's Heads North

View the full article <a href="https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/dickeys-selling-family-packs-halloween">here</a> .&nbsp;
Dickey’s Barbecue Pit offers guests more time to spend trick-or-treating and less time in the kitchen with a Dickey’s Family Pack.
 
On October 31, guests can purchase a Family Pack with $5 off at participating Dickey’s locations in-store.
 
“At Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, we pride ourselves on offering our guests convenient options, especially on busy holidays such as Halloween,” says Trevor Wilson, VP of Marketing at Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. “With our Family Packs, guests can focus on what is important, spending time with their friends and family.”
 
The Dickey’s Family Pack includes the guests’ choice of two slow-smoked meats, three medium wholesome sides, six buttery rolls and barbecue sauce.

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