Real Talk with Real Owners: M.J. Breaux of Mesquite and Wylie, TX

 

Eight years ago M.J. Breaux took over the first Dickey’s Barbecue Pit franchise in Mesquite, Texas. He knew that, with every barbecue competitor within a couple miles, he had his work cut out for him in operating the legacy store. But after 11 years in corporate America, he was ready for the challenge.

 

Eight years ago America had not yet encountered the recession, and M.J. faced difficult days throughout the mid 2000’s. He fought through hard times using Dickey’s proven success model, focusing on driving the business using the tools he gained in Barbecue University and Community Marketing. Today the store stands proudly as a top 10 high volume store with catering at 19.2%.

 

“The brand is 10 times larger now than when I bought in,” M.J. says. “The most important thing for franchisees to understand is that we are partners. We won’t agree with everything, but there is an opportunity for dialogue that has increased more and more and more over the years, from purchasing to marketing.”

 

Today, M.J. owns another store in Wylie, TX whose revenue has increased 20% since he acquired it seven months ago. He and his family of eight are truly passionate about the art of great barbecue. In fact the three-year old triplets’ first word was “Dickey’s”.