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IN THE NEWS

Dickey's Barbecue Pit is testing delivery, straight from the store, in Minneapolis and Colorado Springs, according to a company press release.
At Dickey's, we pride ourselves on catering to our guests' needs and our new delivery option does just that," CEO Laura Rea Dickey, said in the release. "We chose to test these markets first to see the net worth of the delivery project before we incorporate our delivery option systemwide."
At these stores, guests can order online or download the Dickey's app in the Apple App Store to utilize the delivery option.
Dickey's Barbecue has more than 550 locations in 45 states.&nbsp;
Wanna hear more? Michelle Matthews, VP of Direct Sales at Dickey's, will chat about the chain's strategies for growth at the annualRestaurant Franchising and Innovation Summit, April &nbsp;9-11 in Louisville. Register here.

Fast Casual: Dickey's Barbecue Pit testing delivery

View the full segment <a href="http://www.wbtw.com/lifestyle/dickeys-provides-tips-for-slow-smoked-meat/986693384" target="_blank">here</a> .&nbsp;

WBTW: Dickey's provides tips for slow-smoked meat

View the full segment <a href="https://www.theazweekend.com/dickeys-polish-sausage-cheddar-jalepeno-sausage-recipe/" target="_blank">here</a> .&nbsp;

KOMO: Dickey’s Polish Sausage & Cheddar Jalepeno Sausage Recipe

View the full article <a href="http://comptonherald.org/compton-lands-dickeys-barbecue-pit/" target="_self">here</a> .&nbsp;
Experienced restauranteurs bring nation’s largest barbecue chain to Compton Boulevard; new Dickey’s franchise owners ‘thrilled’ to bring Texas-style barbecue
COMPTON — Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, the nation’s largest barbecue chain, based in Dallas, Texas, opened locally this month filling a large void left by the departure of another hugely successful barbecue eatery.
Dickey’s Barbecue Pit franchisees Elton and Denise Anderson opened their first Dickey’s location in Compton in February. Photo: Dickey’s
Elton and Denise Anderson are the new franchise owners of Dickey’s located at 116 E. Compton Blvd. [MAP] They opened their doors with gracious hospitality offering barbecue lovers four weeks of specials and giveaways, including free barbecue for a year for three lucky guests.
The Andersons bring 12 years of restaurant experience to the Dickey’s Barbecue Pit family. After looking for new franchising opportunities, Elton said he and his wife and business partner Denise, fell in love with Dickey’s delicious, slow-smoked barbecue and energized concept.
“Texas-style barbecue is something that we [did not] have in our area and we are thrilled to be the ones to serve Dickey’s barbecue to those in Compton,” Elton said.
Originally from Belize, Elton, who moved to California and after years of work in the IT world, decided to break into the restaurant industry with Wing Stop as his first franchising concept. After making California a home, he and Denise decided to bring Dickey’s Barbecue Pit to the residents of the Compton community.
Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc., expressed great expectations for the operation in Compton.
“We are thrilled to have these experienced franchisees open their new location in Compton and look forward to their success,” she said. “At Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, we pride ourselves on serving our communities authentic, Texas-style barbecue which can only be done with amazing franchisees such as Elton and Denise Anderson.”
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 homestyle sides. All meats are slow smoked on-site in each restaurant. The fast-casual concept has expanded to more than 550 locations in 44 states.
The phone number to the new Compton eatery is (310) 868-1444.

Compton Herald: Compton lands Dickey’s Barbecue Pit

View the full article <a href="https://smallbiztrends.com/2018/02/cloud-based-virtual-assistant-benefits.html" target="_blank">here</a> .&nbsp;
Did you know that more than half of Americans want their own personal AI assistant, and why not? Having a cloud-based virtual assistant to hand your tasks off to is like a dream; your own guy or girl Friday that can handle everything from scheduling to research, project management, and even sales.
 
Happily, with the rise of cloud based virtual assistants, this dream is coming true. And, for entrepreneurs, there are many benefits to using one.
 
What is a Cloud Based Virtual Assistant?
Before we jump into the benefits however, let’s make sure we’re all on the same page as to what a cloud based virtual assistant is.
 
A cloud based virtual assistant is an app that understands “natural” language text or voice commands and can complete tasks on your behalf. In other words, you can talk to the app using real, everyday words. In addition, the app can live online or on a device like your smartphone.
 
What we’re not talking about here is a human virtual assistant. While those folks can provide many benefits of their own, they’re not part of this conversation.
 
Whether online or on a device, one critical feature of a cloud based virtual assistant is its ability to connect to multiple systems and sources of data. For this reason, they are “cloud-based” because they can reach into the cloud to access what they need. As you’ll see below, this is how they get work done for you.
 
Cloud Based Virtual Assistant Benefits
Cloud based virtual assistants help you be a better entrepreneur by taking on the tasks that can fill your time so you can focus on higher-value work like delighting your customers and finding more of them.
 
Here’s a look at some of the ways you can use a virtual assistant.
 
Onboarding Sales Leads
You can waste a lot of time with tire-kickers, folks who download your sales materials but aren’t really interested in buying anything.
 
Tools like Conversica help you discover your most promising sales leads by starting a conversation that eventually leads to contact with a human. Once you’ve got them on the phone, the business is yours to win.
 
Meeting Scheduler
One of the most time-consuming tasks is setting up a meeting. You send the invite, they say they can’t make it and off you go with that lovely game we call “let’s see if we can find a time and place to meet in under 10 emails.”
 
Wouldn’t it be great to hand off that whole process to someone else? Well, thanks to the rise of virtual assistants like x.ai, you can. This tool handles all the back and forth to set up meetings and all you have to do is provide some basic input at the beginning.
 
Now you can spend more time actually meeting rather than trying to set the meeting up.
 
Meeting Facilitator
Once your meeting is set up, a virtual assistant can help you make the most of your time together. This technology is still evolving, but we get an interesting peek into the future of virtual meeting assistants in the infographic below from Cisco; a future that is starting to arrive today. The future looks pretty sweet from here.
 
Cloud Based Virtual Assistant Benefits
 
Project Management Assistant
Project management is a key element of a well run business. Using project management helps assure that work gets done and delivered on time and as promised.
 
However, finding out what’s going on at any one moment can mean a lot of time spent running down updates and statuses.
 
Now you can get around that problem by using a virtual assistant like the one created by integrating Redbooth and Cisco Spark. This “virtual project management assistant” can run down questions like, “Where’s everyone with their tasks,” “How much time is left before this part of the project is done?”, and “How many hours should I bill my client this month?”
 
It’s nice to be able to spend your time working in your business rather than on your business, right?
 
On-Demand Info
Wouldn’t it be great to be able to get critical information on the fly just by asking a question? That’s exactly what Dickey’s Barbecue is starting to roll-out to their chain of franchise restaurants.
 
Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of the Dallas-based company, says franchisees can use an Amazon Echo to ask Alexa for “up-to-date data on daily sales, inventory levels, scheduled deliveries by suppliers, customer ratings, and even optimal smoking times.” And that’s all without leaving the kitchen.
 
Outside of the work area, folks can still access visual data as well.
 
Personal Assistant
Aside from scheduling, cloud based virtual assistants can make it feel like secretaries have come back in style. Some examples include:
Providing reminders so you never miss a meeting,.
Adding items to your to-do list,
Reading your email to you and even replying,
Making conference calls for you so you don’t have to remember to bring the number,
Finding flights, lodging and restaurants for you locally or when you travel,
Finding out the weather forecast and reporting news you’re interested in hearing.
 
Housekeeper
After a hard day at work, wouldn’t it be nice to come back to a comfortable home? Using cloud based connections with smart devices, a virtual assistant can make sure that the lights are on, soothing music is playing and the temperature is just right.
 
A well-rested and relaxed entrepreneur is an effective entrepreneur and a cloud based virtual assistant can help you enjoy your time out of the office.

Small Business Trends: 7 Ways A Cloud Based Virtual Assistant Will Make You a Better Entrepreneur

View the full article <a href="http://www.meatpoultry.com/articles/news_home/Business/2018/02/Dickeys_tests_delivery_in_sele.aspx?ID=%7bD864BED7-8F00-4FC2-BF95-4CED758F9872%7d" target="_blank">here</a> .&nbsp;
Fans of Dickey’s Barbecue Pit will soon be able to enjoy their favorite barbecue dishes without leaving the comfort of home. Select markets in Minneapolis and Colorado Springs, Colorado, are testing delivery services at Dickey’s restaurants.
“At Dickey’s, we pride ourselves on catering to our guests’ needs and our new delivery option does just that,” says Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants Inc. “We chose to test these markets first to see the net worth of the delivery project before we incorporate our delivery option systemwide.”
In the test markets, guests can order online or download the Dickey’s app to utilize the delivery option.&nbsp;
Dickey’s fast-casual barbecue restaurant chain has more than 550 locations in 45 states.

Meat + Poultry:  Dickey's tests delivery in select markets

View the full article <a href="https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/dickeys-tests-delivery-service-select-markets" target="_self">here.&nbsp;</a>
Barbecue lovers now have the opportunity to enjoy the convenience of delivery with Dickey’s Barbecue Pit. Dickey’s is offering guests the service they demand by testing delivery, straight from the store, in select markets across the nation. From a single meal at lunch to a dinner for the whole family, Dickey’s offers delivery for any size order.
The markets that are currently being tested are Minneapolis and Colorado Springs, Colorado.
“At Dickey’s, we pride ourselves on catering to our guests’ needs and our new delivery option does just that,” says Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants Inc. “We chose to test these markets first to see the net worth of the delivery project before we incorporate our delivery option system-wide.”
At these stores, guests can order online or download the Dickey’s app in the Apple App Store to utilize the delivery option.

QSR: Dickey's Tests Delivery Service in Select Markets

View the full article <a href="https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/dickey-s-barbecue-pit-continues-michigan-expansion" target="_self">here</a> .&nbsp;
Local businessmen Dan and Luke McKinnon plan to bring two Dickey’s Barbecue Pit locations to their hometown of Muskegon in 2018. The first location is slated to open in May with the second following in late 2018.
Dan McKinnon has been in business for himself for over 25 years, owning local businesses GH Imaging and Printing, Glo Sun and Shades and Village Manor of Ludington. Dickey’s Barbecue Pit will be the McKinnon’s first restaurant venture.
“Dickey’s Barbecue Pit has been and always will be a family-run, family-oriented business and that is something we pride ourselves on,” says Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. “Having a family of experienced entrepreneurs eager to break into the restaurant industry is an exciting and rewarding thing and we look forward to the success Dan and Luke will have with Dickey’s.”
Dan and Luke will be opening both Dickey’s locations together with Luke handling the day-to-day operations of the stores. They both have a passion for slow-smoked barbecue and enjoy partnering on new businesses that bring joy to the community they consider family.
“The restaurant industry is one that we have yet to break into and Dickey’s Barbecue Pit has made the journey quite exciting for us,” says Dan. “We love the food, the look and the concept and look forward to opening our doors for all of the residents of our hometown.”

QSR: Dickey’s Barbecue Pit Continues Michigan Expansion

View the full article <a href="https://www.sbsun.com/2018/02/15/cal-state-san-bernardino-meat-lovers-rejoice-dickeys-barbecue-pit-opens-across-from-campus/" target="_self">here</a> .&nbsp;
Cal State San Bernardino has gotten its own Dickey’s Barbecue Pit.
Franchisee Mike Gebrael opened the restaurant Thursday, Feb. 15, at 1725 Northpark Blvd. He said in a phone interview that students can walk across the street from campus.
Dickey’s, a Texas chain founded in 1941, has been growing in Southern California and already had locations along the 210 Freeway in Highland, Fontana and Upland.
It specializes in plates laden with smoked meats such as pulled pork, pork ribs, beef brisket, chicken breast and kielbasa. Sides include baked beans, cabbage slaw, potato salad, Texas toast and corn muffins.
Dickey’s also serves Smoke Stacks such as Texas Frito Pie.
Meals usually cost a little more than a 10-spot, but Gebrael said he is planning to continue the opening celebration with a month of promotions.
Information: 909-473-7393

Bernardino Sun: 

View the full article <a href="http://www.grbj.com/articles/90002-father-and-son-plan-barbecue-restaurants" target="_blank">here</a> &nbsp;
A long-time business owner in the region and his son plan to open a pair of barbecue restaurant franchises.
Dan McKinnon, who owns four other businesses along the lakeshore, and his son, Luke McKinnon, will open two Dickey’s Barbecue Pit restaurants in Muskegon this year.
The first will open in late May in a former Wendy’s restaurant, at 3035 Henry St. A location and opening date for the second franchise have not yet been determined, but the pair are aiming for late 2018.
“My family has been in business in Muskegon for the last 40 years,” Dan McKinnon said. “I have seven children, and five of the seven work for me and various companies I own.”
His other companies include GH Imaging and GH Printing, two separate but related businesses in Muskegon, Glo Sun and Shades in Muskegon and Village Manor of Ludington.
This is his first restaurant venture.
“Dickey’s Barbecue Pit has made the journey quite exciting for us,” Dan McKinnon said. “We love the food, the look and the concept and look forward to opening our doors.”
Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, said the McKinnons are exactly the type of franchisees the chain seeks.
“Dickey’s Barbecue Pit has been and always will be a family run, family oriented business and that is something we pride ourselves on,” Dickey said. “Having a family of experienced entrepreneurs eager to break into the restaurant industry is an exciting and rewarding thing, and we look forward to the success Dan and Luke will have with Dickey’s.”
Hiring
The McKinnons plan to hire about 20 employees to work at the Henry Street location and will begin accepting applications in early May.
In addition to his role as partner, Luke McKinnon will serve as general manager for both locations.
Menu
Dickey’s Barbecue Pit serves slow-smoked meats and homestyle sides with “No B.S. (Bad Stuff)” included.
The menu features entrees, sandwiches, sub-style Westerner sandwiches, Smoke Stacks and tacos.
Firms on the project
Muskegon-based DL Morse &amp; Associates is the contractor on the project.
FM Solutions in Phoenix is the architect and interior designer.
Dickey’s &nbsp;
Founded in 1941 by Travis Dickey, Dallas-based Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants is a fast-casual barbecue franchise.
It has more than 550 locations in 44 states

Grand Rapids Business Journal: Father and son plan barbecue restaurants

View the full article <a href="http://www.meatpoultry.com/articles/news_home/Business/2018/02/Dickeys_adds_a_new_Michigan_lo.aspx?ID=%7b63A8E17C-00AC-404D-81BB-559E5C4DEAE8%7d" target="_blank">here</a> &nbsp;.&nbsp;
ROCKFORD, Mich. — Dickey’s Barbecue Pit is adding a location in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with franchisee restauranteurs, Joan and Karl Dahl.
The couple is experienced in the restaurant industry owning Little Caesars franchises for the past 13 years in the Grand Rapids area.
"At Dickey's Barbecue Pit, we are proud to have experienced franchisees such as Joan and Karl who are passionate about their business and the art of great barbecue," says Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. "We are excited to have the Dahls as a part of our family and look forward to the success they will have in the town they call home."
Originally from the Grand Rapids area, Joan Dahl looks forward to bringing Texas-style barbecue to her community.
"After spending years in the restaurant franchising world, we decided it was time to expand and found a home in Dickey's," she said.

Meat + Poultry: Dickey's adds a new Michigan location

View the full article <a href="https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/dickey-s-debuts-dinner-special-two-february">here</a>.&nbsp;
Dickey’s Barbecue Pit is doubling up their slow-smoked greatness by offering a Texas-style dinner special for two.
The dinner for two includes two, two-meat plates for $22 and will be available for purchase the whole month of February on weekdays after 4 p.m. 

Dickey’s two-meat plates include the guest’s choice of two authentic, slow-smoked meats, two savory sides and a delicious buttery roll. This February, guests can enjoy dinner in-store at Dickey’s with their barbecue loving best friend or better half for only $22. 

“At Dickey’s, we believe that authentic barbecue is meant to be shared with friends and family,” says Renee Roozen, President of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. “We are proud to offer this special to our guests and bring folks in our doors to enjoy Texas-style barbecue with their loved ones and our Dickey’s Barbecue Pit family.”

QSR: Dickey’s Debuts Dinner Special for Two for February

View the full article <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2018/01/30/this-dickeys-executive-is-planning-on-global.html">here</a>.&nbsp;As she leads growth for the country’s largest barbecue chain, Trinity Hall has a much meatier goal in mind: “global domination for barbecue.” The senior vice president of Development for Dickey’s Barbecue Pit started with the restaurant company seven years ago, building its equipment team. Today, she’s handles franchise sales, construction teams, real estate, design and permitting for Dickey’s. She’s also behind the Dallas-born company’s exponential growth. Founded in 1941, today Dickey’s has 550 locations in 44 states. In the pipeline is the first step toward her global goal: Dickey’s first international deal, announced in November, to bring roughly 45 restaurants to seven countries across the Middle East. The first is expected to open this year in the United Arab Emirates. &nbsp;Hall told us more about her role and plans for Dickey’s. What attracted you to Dickey’s? Most people say the growth. I didn’t know it was to grow as much and as quickly at the time. I was looking for something I could create and mold myself with, something I could have an impact on instead of being somewhere you could wait for a couple of years to see an impact. How have you been guiding Dickey’s growth? I’m pushing the business forward through franchise sales national and internationally. We signed our first international deal and we were able to do it right and not rush it. That’s where I’m steering the brand. I recently had to travel to Las Vegas for store visits, and every place I went to, everyone knew we were there. That’s another element, where I’m guiding the public to our stores. What growth will Dickey’s see this year? When we sold the international deal in October, that brought 50 stores in 7 countries. We’ll get those going and open. We have some Hawaii stores opening this year as well. We want global domination for barbecue. Why are you pushing more franchise sales? We keep our five core corporate stores, but franchise sales are our niche. We’re good at having franchisees come in and take hold. It’s a hallmark of the company, finding people who want to become entrepreneurs.&nbsp; How do you decide where to grow internationally? It’s finding that right partner. There’s a trust factor on both parties. We don’t have offices over there yet, so that’s important. We put out a couple of press releases, and phones started ringing. With international, we require people with food experience because it’s a different beast. Our partner has done just as much research on us as we have on them, and they want to help us grow outside the countries they’ve purchased. How will you continue to spur growth in the U.S.? It’s really internal growth with our existing franchisees. We keep them going and growing. We’re also looking for people we didn’t know there was a market for. We didn’t know there was an opportunity for C-stores or locations inside airports or malls. What is the biggest challenge of your job? I get to mold people and help those who don’t want to be out on their own. The hardest part is we grew fast and we’re good at it, but we have to sustain that growth and make sure people get the support they need every day, whether it’s internal or external.

Dallas Business Journal: This Dickey's executive is planning on 'global domination for barbecue'

View the full article <a href="https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/dickey-s-launches-online-ordering-through-mobile-app">here</a>.&nbsp;The latest initiative at Dickey’s Barbecue Pit brings authentic, Texas-style barbecue to guests at their fingertips with Dickey’s very own mobile app, featuring online ordering for pick-up or delivery and a new loyalty rewards program. “We are living in an on-demand world where most guests will choose the location of their next meal primarily based on convenience,” says Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. “Our new app rewards our guests for their loyalty, fulfills the demand for convenience and most importantly, provides the authentic Texas-style barbecue they love.” From their favorite everyday menu items to a full-sized catering, guests can now order Dickey’s for all their cravings with the touch of a button. Guests have the choice of in-store or curbside pickup, and/or delivery when ordering through the app.&nbsp; Curbside pickup and delivery availability vary by location. The second phase of the Dickey’s app, slated to go live in March, will include a review-based loyalty program, which rewards Dickey’s guests for feedback on their purchases. The Dickey’s app is currently available in the Apple app store and will launch for Android in early Summer 2018.

QSR: Dickey’s Launches Online Ordering Through Mobile App

View the full article <a href="https://www.fastcasual.com/news/dickeys-launches-mobile-app/">here</a>.&nbsp;Dickey's has launched a mobile app, featuring online ordering for pick-up or delivery and a new loyalty rewards program.&nbsp;"We are living in an on-demand world where most guests will choose the location of their next meal primarily based on convenience,"Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, said in a company press release. "Our new app rewards our guests for their loyalty, fulfills the demand for convenience and most importantly, provides the authentic Texas-style barbecue they love."&nbsp;From their favorite everyday menu items to a full-sized catering, guests can now order Dickey's for all their cravings with the touch of a button. Guests have the choice of in-store or curbside pickup, and/or delivery when ordering through the app. Curbside pickup and delivery availability vary by location, Dickey said.&nbsp;The second phase of the Dickey's app, slated to go live in March, will include a review-based loyalty program which rewards Dickey's guests for feedback on their purchases.&nbsp;The Dickey's app is available in the Apple app store and will launch for Android in early summer 2018.&nbsp;