Famous Dave's vs Dickey's Barbecue Pit Restaurants Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Famous Dave's vs Dickey's Barbecue Pit Restaurants including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Famous Dave's Franchise
Dickey's Barbecue Pit Restaurants Franchise
Investment $481,750 - $4,495,750$71,993 - $323,789
Franchise Fee $45,000$20,000
Royalty Fee 5%5%
Advertising Fee 1%Nat'l + 1.5% local4%
Year Founded 19951941
Year Franchised 19981994
Term Of Agreement 20 years20 years
Term Of Agreement 20 years20 years
Renewal Fee 50% of then-current fee$10,000


Business Experience Requirements

 
Famous Dave's Franchise
Dickey's Barbecue Pit Restaurants Franchise
Experience * Prefer Ownership/management experience in full service, casual dining restaurants, in or near the desired territories. * Multi unit experience is a big plus. * Single units will be considered depending on market conditions, demographics and other criteria. * If Area Development Agreement is chosen, minimum of three units required to be developed. * Minimum LIQUID net worth of $750,000. * Minimum per unit development costs could range from approx $900,000 to $4,000,000. * Proven commitment to customer service and quality food. -

Financing Options

 
Famous Dave's Franchise
Dickey's Barbecue Pit Restaurants Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees No/NoNo/Yes
Start-up Costs No/NoNo/Yes
Equipment No/YesNo/Yes
Inventory No/NoNo/Yes
Receivables No/NoNo/Yes
Payroll No/NoNo/Yes

Training & Support

 
Famous Dave's Franchise
Dickey's Barbecue Pit Restaurants Franchise
Training -We provide a comprehensive training program at Barbecue University, an intensive four-week training program that teaches the skills needed to open and operate a Dickey's. Barbecue University trainees will spend two weeks in the classroom and two weeks in our training restaurants. In the classroom, trainees will work through the Dickey's Operations Manual and learn from our trainers. Classes consist of lectures, reading, homework assignments, group activities, demonstrations, quizzes and a final exam. Yep, it's class. Spending two weeks in our training stores is an integral part of training as you practice perfecting Dickey's gold standards and demonstrate that you are ready, willing and able to run a Dickey's Barbecue Pit. In addition to the field training sessions, we also provide Dickey's e-Learning, which are online training courses (e.g., Operations, Food Safety, Guest Service and Management training) for our new and existing franchisee community. On-The-Job Training: 90 hours Classroom Training: 50 hours
Support Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperativesPurchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, Regional advertisingOur marketing department operates as an in-house advertising agency. We have a creative team, social media, public relations, community marketing, web content, and media buyers on-site to optimize the brand experience at every touch point. Our in-house team has extensive knowledge of the fast casual industry while taking into account the unique culture of barbecue when creating communications. Our franchisees appreciate having our in-house team as brand stewards for Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants and experts in brand marketing efforts. Having in-house capabilities allows us greater flexibility and the ability to turn projects around quickly with cost efficiencies, and most importantly, high-level creative deliverables that produce marketing results. *Advertising agency support *Local field marketing support *Individual marketing/strategic planning Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app
Operations Franchisees required to buy multiple units/master licenses; 84% of all franchisees own more than one unit

Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 65

Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (97% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

Nearly 25% of Dickey's Barbecue Franchisees Own Multi-Units

Expansion Plans

 
Famous Dave's Franchise
Dickey's Barbecue Pit Restaurants Franchise
US Expansion YesYes
Canada Expansion NoNo
International Expansion NoYes

Company Overviews

About Famous Dave's

Famous Dave's is a "specialty" casual dining restaurant franchise, creating environments that transcend current restaurant offerings by serving the highest quality, flavor-intense foods in surroundings that are stimulating, interesting and fun! Famous Dave's is more than a restaurant - it's an escape from the ordinary. Few restaurants in history have achieved as much recognition in a few short years as Famous Dave's! Dave's road to fame began with a strong hankerin' for fine barbecue and a stronger desire to make the finest slow-smoked barbecue folks had ever tasted. He visited rib shacks, roadside joints, every hole-in-the-wall or fancy pants supper club he could, all in search of the most succulent meats, savory seasonings and lipsmackin' sauces around. After 25 years of tastin' and cookin', Dave's barbecue just plain knocked the socks off his family and friends. That's when Dave decided he had to share. He wanted to give all the folks a chance to dig into the best barbecue ever. And in a place as down-home fun and frolicsome as the shacks and clubs he went a callin' on all those years.

"Top
#57 in Gator's Top franchises.

"franchiserankingscom"
#96 on Franchise Rankings.com


About Dickey's Barbecue Pit Restaurants

Dickey's Barbecue was founded in 1941 by Travis Dickey in a one-room building at the intersection of Knox and Central Expressway just north of downtown Dallas. The original store had sawdust on the floors and sold beef brisket, ham and ribs. If you wanted a vegetable, you could have potato chips or barbecue beans, or both. Add a bottle of soda, milk or beer and that was the entire menu. This changed when his two sons, Roland and T.D., Jr. took over the business in 1967. They began to modernize the restaurants and add more meats and vegetables to the menu, which now boasts up to eight meats and eighteen fresh and homemade vegetables. Dickey's Barbecue offers low start-up costs, multiple revenue streams and an expert support team for franchise owners. We also have an extensive training program at Barbecue University, where we drill down on our approach to quality, authentic barbecue and guest focus. In addition, our construction and real estate departments are here to assist franchise owners in site selection, lease negotiation, design, permitting, and equipment procurement. Top 10 reasons to Invest in Your Own Dickey's Barbecue Pit. *Established brand *Low franchise fee *Site location assistance *Thorough training in management, operations & marketing *Protected territories *High purchasing power to avoid over-paying for goods *Quality products in our restaurants *Six revenue streams *Ongoing support from our home office *Multi-unit development deals available As a nationally established brand, Dickey's Barbecue offers years of restaurant knowledge and a team of experts to assist franchise owners through the opening experience.

Veteran Incentives  25% off franchise fee