Franchising.com: Seasoned Dickey’s Owner Reflects on the Past, Looks to the Future

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Dickey’s Barbecue Pit Owner Tom Eggerud will celebrate his 10-year anniversary with the iconic barbecue brand. Out of Dickey’s 500+ franchised locations, Tom’s store in Eagan, Minnesota is consistently ranked in the Top 10 for sales.

Tom credits his success to his passion for great barbecue and customer service. “Everyone absolutely loves our product,” says Tom. “We’ve got close relationships with our guests and treat them like family.”

It’s no wonder Tom receives rave reviews online. TripAdvisor user Eisen79 had this to say about Tom’s store: “Many visits to this location and our experiences have been consistently great. The brisket and pulled pork seem to never disappoint. The staff has been the same people for years and they are very helpful and friendly, even during the busiest of times.”

Tom’s business is about 50% catering. He once drove 70 miles to do a 10-person catering event. That willingness to go the extra mile, or 60, paid off – that client is now a regular who spends big and often. Tom caters a lot of weddings and meals for workers at nearby oil refineries. His biggest catering event to date was for around 1,400 Delta Airline employees. “I don’t know the meaning of no,” says Tom.

Tom is a pinnacle in his community, regularly catering local school and church events and donating gift cards and discounted meals for local fundraising efforts. An avid football fan, he provides meals for Minnesota Vikings Tight End Kyle Rudolph’s youth football camp.

Looking at the future, Tom has big plans. “I want to be the highest-volume store outside of Dickey’s home state of Texas,” says Tom. With Dickey’s focus on food innovation such as the new smoked chicken wings, Tom is confident his business will continue to grow.

“It’s Owner/Operators like Tom who have made Dickey’s the largest barbecue franchise in the world,” says Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. “With his passion, energy and commitment, I can’t wait to see what lies ahead for Tom.”

To learn more about Tom and his secrets to success, watch this short youtube video. 

Find your nearest Dickey’s Barbecue Pit location here .