For media requests or inquiries, please email Dickey's Barbecue Pit Media Relations Team at: 

Includes a list of locations, fun facts, milestones and other company information about Dickey's Barbecue Pit.

Baker bar with potatoes and all the fixings

Press Contact

Press Kit

Media Inquiries

Hot off the pit! Here’s where you’ll find Dickey’s latest news!

IN THE NEWS

<p>From <a href="http://meatandseafood.food-business-review.com/news/dickeys-barbecue-pit-launches-whole-smoked-chicken-290716-4964308" target="_blank">Food Business Review</a>:&nbsp;<hr id="[object Object]"></p><p>Dickey's Barbecue Pit now has a new option for families on the go. On August 1, Dickey's launches the new Chicknic Pack, which includes a whole smoked chicken, two savory sides, four buttery rolls and barbecue sauce.</p><p><br></p><p>Half chickens are also available. All whole and half chickens are raised without antibiotics or added hormones*, and are humanely raised, vegetarian fed and cage-free.</p><p><br></p><p>Smoked whole and half chickens are a new offering for the barbecue brand, and will be sold as part of the Chicknic Pack or as an add-on to any order.</p><p><br></p><p>The new Chicknic Pack fills out an already robust list of offerings of barbecue Family Packs which feed anywhere from four to eight people.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>Like all of Dickey's meats, the whole chicken will be slow-smoked on-site at each store using Dickey's signature rub blend and hickory wood.</p><p><br></p><p>The Chicknic Pack is available system-wide for $19.95, single whole smoked chickens will be sold for only $9.95 and half chickens are also available for $5.95.</p><p><br></p><p>"At Dickey's, we want our guests to have wholesome, delicious options to feed their families," says Roland Dickey Jr., CEO of Dickey's Barbecue Pit.</p><p><br></p><p>"We have received a great deal of feedback from our guests that they want a whole chicken option, and we are proud to begin offering this quality product which is raised without antibiotics and has no added hormones.</p><p><br></p><p>“At Dickey's we hope to set the standard for quality and transparency, and this is one major step in our responsibility and sustainability efforts."</p><p><br></p><p>The Chicknic Pack is Dickey's newest LTO and is projected to become a family favorite due to the convenience, quality and great price.</p>

Food Business Review: Dickey's Barbecue Pit launches whole smoked chicken

<p>From <a href="https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/dickeys-launch-chicknic-pack-whole-chicken" target="_blank">QSR</a>:<hr id="[object Object]"></p><p>Dickey’s Barbecue Pit now has a new option for families on the go. On August 1, Dickey’s will launch the new Chicknic Pack, which includes a whole smoked chicken, two sides, four buttery rolls, and barbecue sauce. Half chickens are also available. All whole and half chickens are raised without antibiotics or added hormones, and are humanely raised, vegetarian fed, and cage-free.</p><p><br></p><p>Smoked whole and half chickens are a new offering for the barbecue brand, and will be sold as part of the Chicknic Pack or as an add-on to any order. The new Chicknic Pack fills out the brand’s offerings of barbecue Family Packs which feed between from four to eight people. &nbsp;Like all of Dickey’s meats, the whole chicken will be slow-smoked on-site at each store using Dickey’s signature rub blend and hickory wood. The Chicknic Pack is available system-wide for $19.95, single whole smoked chickens will be sold for $9.95, and half chickens are also available for $5.95.</p><p><br></p><p>“At Dickey’s, we want our guests to have wholesome, delicious options to feed their families,” says Roland Dickey Jr., CEO of Dickey’s Barbecue Pit. “We have received a great deal of feedback from our guests that they want a whole chicken option, and we are proud to begin offering this quality product which is raised without antibiotics and has no added hormones. At Dickey’s we hope to set the standard for quality and transparency, and this is one major step in our responsibility and sustainability efforts.”</p>

QSR: Dickey's to Launch Chicknic Pack with Whole Chicken

<p><p>From <a href="https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/dickey-s-barbecue-pit-host-fall-charity-cook" target="_blank">QSR</a>: &nbsp;</p><hr id="[object Object]"><p>Originating in Dallas in 1941, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit is celebrating its 75th anniversary on September 17 with an invitational barbecue showdown, Battle of the Pitmasters. The event is sanctioned by Lonestar Barbecue Society and will feature 20 competing teams consisting of first responders from all over the Dallas – Fort Worth area. Led by Dickey’s charitable foundation Barbecue, Boots &amp; Badges, the event will benefit local first responders and their families as well as strengthen the foundation’s partnerships to provide resources for first responders nationwide.</p></p><p><br></p><p>The event will be held in Dallas on Saturday, September 17 from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. at NorthPark Center in the Macy’s parking lot facing Park Lane. In addition to the competition, a stage will be set up featuring live musical performances and several craft breweries will sell and sample their products to benefit the foundation.</p><p><br></p><p>General admission tickets are $5. VIP tickets are available for $50, and include early admission, barbecue samples, craft beer tastings, an invitation to vote for the People’s Choice Award, and an opportunity to meet the competitors and celebrity judges. There will also be a Kids’ Place area with face painting, a balloon artist, and family-friendly entertainment. Pitmaster teams will compete for first through third place and monetary prizes, and a People’s Choice Award will be chosen in the VIP Pavilion. Vendor booths and sponsorships are also available.</p><p><br></p><p>“While Dickey’s has grown to more than 560 locations in 43 states, we still have deep roots in our hometown and want to show our thanks to the community and local first responders for their support over the past 75 years,” says Roland Dickey Jr., CEO of Dickey’s Barbecue Pit. “A lot has changed at Dickey’s, but we are still the family-owned and operated business that several generations have grown to know and love. We look forward to sharing the love of great barbecue, great friends, and a great cause with Dallas on September 17.”</p><p><br></p>

QSR: Dickey's Barbecue Pit to Host Fall Charity Cook-off

        From <a href="http://springtown-epigraph.net/updates/dickeys-bbq-to-host-fundraiser-for-dallas-pd-families/" target="_blank">Springtown Epigraph</a>:<hr id="[object Object]">Dickey’s Barbecue Pit of Springtown will host a fundraiser Wednesday, July 13 from 11 a.m.- 9 p.m. for the families of the Dallas Police officers who were killed in the line of duty July 7. Twenty percent of all proceeds that day will go to the Boots and Badges charity which helps the families of fallen service members, police officers, and firefighters. Dickey’s also accepts donations to the charity in general at any time.<hr id="[object Object]">

Springtown Epigraph: Dickey’s BBQ to host fundraiser for Dallas PD families

<p>From <a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/blog/prime_cuts/2016/07/restaurant-news-kneaders-dickeys-barbecue-pit.html" target="_blank">Phoenix Business Journal:</a></p>

<p class="content__segment" style="font-family: Acta, Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px;">Kneaders Bakery and Cafe and&nbsp;<a href="https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net/pcs/view?xai=AKAOjsulhbfXAiValpztS_ougvJdiD_DIBYnCjHei3BM28lfvfVKf1crVPPG3A21k752Bd_Pc2ZE_VDmkXrdjFycMBExRAuekUbn5NBxzc7ZniLJU6h1MJQ3FHhlR5NLciFcGZDcahj3idi1uyYl7JtYcO6vlq_busl-KBST8TkjhwyP-U7u3KEhCkLV8nsACTirxPojs_fUW6RH4qfRXeSeq7z5KIwErrmXLdkmq1MEmcJCm8nCot-b0EK-3Mg&amp;sai=AMfl-YTrKguMhCHjZbG12oKZ_avuj0l8v-UUvqlORosxr0TI_tS1SmvMAxp690l5500ApsVoraV7hUXMsQ&amp;sig=Cg0ArKJSzDPjoREfPIwGEAE&amp;urlfix=1&amp;adurl=https://tpc.googlesyndication.com/pagead/imgad?id=CICAgKDT76X9axABGAEyCNk3OcrSZUB0&amp;t=10&amp;cT=http%3A//bizjournals.com&amp;l=http%3A//www.bizjournals.com/profiles/company/us/tx/dallas/dickey%2527s_barbecue_pit/3329055" data-id="3329055" class="js-newsleads" style="transition: color 100ms ease-out, border-color 100ms ease-out; color: rgb(37, 79, 156); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-color: rgba(37, 79, 156, 0.247059);">Dickey's Barbecue Pit</a>&nbsp;are continuing to expand their Phoenix footprint.</p>

<p class="content__segment" style="font-family: Acta, Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px;">Dallas, Texas-based Dickey's Barbecue Pit opened its ninth Arizona location in Chandler July 7, at 1005 S. Arizona Ave., Suite 13.</p>

<p class="content__segment" style="font-family: Acta, Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px;">The new location is under the franchise ownership of&nbsp;<a href="https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net/pcs/view?xai=AKAOjsulhbfXAiValpztS_ougvJdiD_DIBYnCjHei3BM28lfvfVKf1crVPPG3A21k752Bd_Pc2ZE_VDmkXrdjFycMBExRAuekUbn5NBxzc7ZniLJU6h1MJQ3FHhlR5NLciFcGZDcahj3idi1uyYl7JtYcO6vlq_busl-KBST8TkjhwyP-U7u3KEhCkLV8nsACTirxPojs_fUW6RH4qfRXeSeq7z5KIwErrmXLdkmq1MEmcJCm8nCot-b0EK-3Mg&amp;sai=AMfl-YTrKguMhCHjZbG12oKZ_avuj0l8v-UUvqlORosxr0TI_tS1SmvMAxp690l5500ApsVoraV7hUXMsQ&amp;sig=Cg0ArKJSzDPjoREfPIwGEAE&amp;urlfix=1&amp;adurl=https://tpc.googlesyndication.com/pagead/imgad?id=CICAgKDT76X9axABGAEyCNk3OcrSZUB0&amp;t=10&amp;cT=http%3A//bizjournals.com&amp;l=http%3A//www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/search/results%3Fq%3DTom%2520Emmons" style="transition: color 100ms ease-out, border-color 100ms ease-out; color: rgb(37, 79, 156); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-color: rgba(37, 79, 156, 0.247059);">Tom Emmons</a>,&nbsp;<span class="xn-person"><a href="https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net/pcs/view?xai=AKAOjsulhbfXAiValpztS_ougvJdiD_DIBYnCjHei3BM28lfvfVKf1crVPPG3A21k752Bd_Pc2ZE_VDmkXrdjFycMBExRAuekUbn5NBxzc7ZniLJU6h1MJQ3FHhlR5NLciFcGZDcahj3idi1uyYl7JtYcO6vlq_busl-KBST8TkjhwyP-U7u3KEhCkLV8nsACTirxPojs_fUW6RH4qfRXeSeq7z5KIwErrmXLdkmq1MEmcJCm8nCot-b0EK-3Mg&amp;sai=AMfl-YTrKguMhCHjZbG12oKZ_avuj0l8v-UUvqlORosxr0TI_tS1SmvMAxp690l5500ApsVoraV7hUXMsQ&amp;sig=Cg0ArKJSzDPjoREfPIwGEAE&amp;urlfix=1&amp;adurl=https://tpc.googlesyndication.com/pagead/imgad?id=CICAgKDT76X9axABGAEyCNk3OcrSZUB0&amp;t=10&amp;cT=http%3A//bizjournals.com&amp;l=http%3A//www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/search/results%3Fq%3DDonna%2520Martin" style="transition: color 100ms ease-out, border-color 100ms ease-out; color: rgb(37, 79, 156); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-color: rgba(37, 79, 156, 0.247059);">Donna Martin</a></span>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<span class="xn-person"><a href="https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net/pcs/view?xai=AKAOjsulhbfXAiValpztS_ougvJdiD_DIBYnCjHei3BM28lfvfVKf1crVPPG3A21k752Bd_Pc2ZE_VDmkXrdjFycMBExRAuekUbn5NBxzc7ZniLJU6h1MJQ3FHhlR5NLciFcGZDcahj3idi1uyYl7JtYcO6vlq_busl-KBST8TkjhwyP-U7u3KEhCkLV8nsACTirxPojs_fUW6RH4qfRXeSeq7z5KIwErrmXLdkmq1MEmcJCm8nCot-b0EK-3Mg&amp;sai=AMfl-YTrKguMhCHjZbG12oKZ_avuj0l8v-UUvqlORosxr0TI_tS1SmvMAxp690l5500ApsVoraV7hUXMsQ&amp;sig=Cg0ArKJSzDPjoREfPIwGEAE&amp;urlfix=1&amp;adurl=https://tpc.googlesyndication.com/pagead/imgad?id=CICAgKDT76X9axABGAEyCNk3OcrSZUB0&amp;t=10&amp;cT=http%3A//bizjournals.com&amp;l=http%3A//www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/search/results%3Fq%3DJeremy%2520Steels" style="transition: color 100ms ease-out, border-color 100ms ease-out; color: rgb(37, 79, 156); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-color: rgba(37, 79, 156, 0.247059);">Jeremy Steels</a>. It is the group's second Dickey's location.</span></p>

<p class="content__segment" style="font-family: Acta, Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px;"><span class="xn-person">Dickey's&nbsp;<a href="https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net/pcs/view?xai=AKAOjsulhbfXAiValpztS_ougvJdiD_DIBYnCjHei3BM28lfvfVKf1crVPPG3A21k752Bd_Pc2ZE_VDmkXrdjFycMBExRAuekUbn5NBxzc7ZniLJU6h1MJQ3FHhlR5NLciFcGZDcahj3idi1uyYl7JtYcO6vlq_busl-KBST8TkjhwyP-U7u3KEhCkLV8nsACTirxPojs_fUW6RH4qfRXeSeq7z5KIwErrmXLdkmq1MEmcJCm8nCot-b0EK-3Mg&amp;sai=AMfl-YTrKguMhCHjZbG12oKZ_avuj0l8v-UUvqlORosxr0TI_tS1SmvMAxp690l5500ApsVoraV7hUXMsQ&amp;sig=Cg0ArKJSzDPjoREfPIwGEAE&amp;urlfix=1&amp;adurl=https://tpc.googlesyndication.com/pagead/imgad?id=CICAgKDT76X9axABGAEyCNk3OcrSZUB0&amp;t=10&amp;cT=http%3A//bizjournals.com&amp;l=http%3A//www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/blog/prime_cuts/2016/04/texas-barbecue-restaurant-doubling-footprint-in.html" target="_blank" style="transition: color 100ms ease-out, border-color 100ms ease-out; color: rgb(37, 79, 156); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-color: rgba(37, 79, 156, 0.247059);">has plans to double its Phoenix footprint by 2026</a>&nbsp;after signing a multi-development agreement with&nbsp;<span class="xn-person">Tiffany Oder</span>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<span class="xn-person"><a href="https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net/pcs/view?xai=AKAOjsulhbfXAiValpztS_ougvJdiD_DIBYnCjHei3BM28lfvfVKf1crVPPG3A21k752Bd_Pc2ZE_VDmkXrdjFycMBExRAuekUbn5NBxzc7ZniLJU6h1MJQ3FHhlR5NLciFcGZDcahj3idi1uyYl7JtYcO6vlq_busl-KBST8TkjhwyP-U7u3KEhCkLV8nsACTirxPojs_fUW6RH4qfRXeSeq7z5KIwErrmXLdkmq1MEmcJCm8nCot-b0EK-3Mg&amp;sai=AMfl-YTrKguMhCHjZbG12oKZ_avuj0l8v-UUvqlORosxr0TI_tS1SmvMAxp690l5500ApsVoraV7hUXMsQ&amp;sig=Cg0ArKJSzDPjoREfPIwGEAE&amp;urlfix=1&amp;adurl=https://tpc.googlesyndication.com/pagead/imgad?id=CICAgKDT76X9axABGAEyCNk3OcrSZUB0&amp;t=10&amp;cT=http%3A//bizjournals.com&amp;l=http%3A//www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/search/results%3Fq%3DChad%2520Burge" style="transition: color 100ms ease-out, border-color 100ms ease-out; color: rgb(37, 79, 156); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-color: rgba(37, 79, 156, 0.247059);">Chad Burge</a>, a young sibling duo.</span></span></p>

<p class="content__segment" style="font-family: Acta, Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px;"><br></p>

<hr id="[object Object]">

Restaurant News: Dickey's Opening New Locations

<div>From <a href="http://www.highlandnews.net/news/top_stories/ready-to-eat-and-gamble/article_c4f267a8-47b8-11e6-acaa-b72e51265535.html" target="_blank">Highland Community&nbsp;News</a>:&nbsp;<hr id="[object Object]"></div><div class="note-statusbar">Everything is ready for the big Casino Night and Taste of the Town scheduled for July 21 from 5-9 p.m. ay the San Manuel Events Center, Boulder at Highland avenues in Highland.</div><div class="note-statusbar">The is the big annual fundraiser for the Highland Senior Center with gamblers invited to dress in their best western wear and come prepared to win big.</div><div class="note-statusbar">&nbsp;</div><div class="note-statusbar"><br></div><div class="note-statusbar">Participating restaurants this year include Two Guys Pasta &amp; Pizza, Dickey's Barbecue Pit, Brightwater Senior Living, Dream Dinners, Radiant Rubies of Highland, The Green Frog and Antoinette's.</div><div class="note-statusbar">&nbsp;Sponsors helped make it all possible. They include Event sponsor: &nbsp;San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Media Sponsor: Highland Community News : &nbsp;Oil Baron Sponsor: &nbsp;Dignity Health - Urgent Care, &nbsp;Iron Horse Sponsor: &nbsp;Mrs. Pat Fischer &amp; Family; &nbsp;Rancher Sponsor: &nbsp;Alta Vista Credit Union, Brightwater Senior Living, Cliff's Pest Control, Jane Bouch, Avon; &nbsp;Tin Star Sponsor: &nbsp;Molly Wright, Jim Cimino Realty.</div><div class="note-statusbar">Your $25 ticket buys in at $100 worth of chips that may be used at the blackjack at craps tables.</div><div class="note-statusbar">Visitors also stroll through the food selections at Taste of the Town and vote for their favorites.</div>

Highland Community News: Ready to Eat and Gamble?

<p>From <a href="http://www.fastcasual.com/news/dickeys-barbecue-pit-fires-up-new-summer-tacos/" target="_blank">Fast Casual</a>:&nbsp;</p><p>Starting July 1, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit is offering its newest limited time offer with the expansion of its butcher taco offerings, according to a press release.</p><p><br></p><p>Following the success of pulled pork street tacos, Dickey’s has introduced sriracha chicken butcher tacos as a sweet and spicy summer treat. Additionally, Dickey's swill feature the cuban in August and the buffalo &amp; bleu taco in September. &nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>"After receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback on our pulled pork taco LTO, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit will now offer a specialty taco each month until October," Roland Dickey, Jr., CEO of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, &nbsp;said in the releaset. "Dickey’s saw great interest and an increase in sales as a result of our previous limited time offer, and we look forward to offering this new take on barbecue at all our locations system-wide." &nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

Fast Casual: Dickey's Barbecue Pit fires up new summer tacos

From <a href="https://www.joomag.com/magazine/bespoke-concierge-new-york-summer-2016/0400875001462081429?short" target="_blank">Bespoke Concierge Magazine</a><hr id="[object Object]">See the feature in Bespoke on Dickey's airport locations <a href="https://www.joomag.com/magazine/bespoke-concierge-new-york-summer-2016/0400875001462081429?short" target="_blank">here</a>.

Bespoke Concierge: Travel Fare - Dining becomes and elevated experience as high-end restaurants and local hot spots land at airports across the country

See the full segment <a href="https://www.hightail.com/e?phi_action=app/orchestrateDownload&amp;sendId=2976246793&amp;emailId=4dffe676d331b2aab65b348cc0bfde17" target="_blank">here</a>.<hr id="[object Object]">Thanks, KTLA!

See Mr. Dickey on KTLA Ch. 5 in Los Angeles!

From <a href="https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/dickey-s-barbecue-pit-makes-el-paso-debut" target="_blank">QSR</a>: &nbsp;<hr id="[object Object]"><div class="note-statusbar">El Paso, Texas, will soon get three new Dickey's Barbecue Pit locations, according to a development agreement between the nation's largest barbecue chain and franchisees Hilario and Hugo Gonzalez. The first location is slated to open by fall 2016, with the other two stores to follow in the next consecutive years.</div><div class="note-statusbar"><br></div><div class="note-statusbar">An El Paso native, 24-year-old Hugo Gonzalez entered into this business venture with his father Hilario. Having worked in his father's trucking business, Hugo became interested in business ownership and foodservice. He researched 10 different restaurant franchise concepts, but chose Dickey's for the great support and low startup cost.</div><div class="note-statusbar"><br></div><div class="note-statusbar">"We only have two barbecue restaurants in El Paso, and I wanted to open a fast-casual location where guests can get great barbecue without the time it takes to visit a full-service restaurant," Hugo Gonzalez says. "We look forward to serving lunch and dinner at our Dickey's locations, as well as catering events in our community."</div><div class="note-statusbar"><br></div><div class="note-statusbar">"Dickey's is proud to expand our presence in our home state," says Roland Dickey, Jr., CEO of Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants. “We currently do not have a Dickey's location in El Paso, and we congratulate Hugo and Hilario Gonzalez on bringing the brand to West Texas."</div>

QSR: Dickey’s Barbecue Pit Makes El Paso Debut

From <a href="http://www.fastcasual.com/news/dickeys-bbq-pit-opens-another-san-antonio-unit-launches-charitable-foundation/" target="_blank">Fast Casual</a>: &nbsp;<hr id="[object Object]"><div class="note-statusbar">Dickey's Barbecue Pit, ranked No. 1 in FastCasual's Top 100 Movers and Shakers, has expanded deeper into San Antonio, Texas and launched &nbsp;a charitable foundation, according to a company press release.</div><div class="note-statusbar"><br></div><div class="note-statusbar">The chain opened its fifth San Antonio unit, which is owned and operated by Agustin Tellez, Jr. and Isela Chamberlain. In celebration, guests will participate in Thirsty Thursdays, Philanthropy Fridays, singer/songwriter Saturdays, and kids-eat-free-all-day Sundays over the next three weeks. Diners can enter to win a free year of barbecue by joining in the conversation on all social media outlets, with #1FreeYearofBBQ.</div><div class="note-statusbar"><br></div><div class="note-statusbar">Barbecue, boots and badges</div><div class="note-statusbar"><br></div><div class="note-statusbar">As Dickey's expands, the brand is focused on being "intensely local" with the launch of its charitable arm, "Barbecue, Boots and Badges," said Maurine Dickey, a former Dallas County commissioner, who created the foundation in partnership with Frito-Lay.</div><div class="note-statusbar"><br></div><div class="note-statusbar">The foundation's goal is to offer in-store discounts and host fundraisers for uniformed officers at all locations by the end of 2016.</div><div class="note-statusbar"><br></div><div class="note-statusbar">"There are not enough services for first responders, and we hope that Barbecue, Boots &amp; Badges can offer a safety net by not only providing financial resources but informational resources as well," Dickey said "We connect many with counseling services, federal grants and other organizations with similar missions."&nbsp;</div><div class="note-statusbar"><br></div>

Fast Casual: Dickey's BBQ Pit opens another San Antonio unit, launches charitable foundation

See the full report on <a href="http://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/special-reports/top-500-chains/2016-top-500-fast-casual-chains" target="_blank">Restaurant Business</a>.

Restaurant Business: 2016 Top 500 Fast Casual Chains

From <a href="http://www.modernrestaurantmanagement.com/visual-training-engages-pit-crew-culture/" target="_blank">Modern Restaurant Management&nbsp;</a><hr id="[object Object]"><div class="note-statusbar"><a href="http://www.modernrestaurantmanagement.com/visual-training-engages-pit-crew-culture/" target="_blank">Like their similarly named counterparts in racing, members of the “pit crew” at Dickey’s Barbecue Pit deal with refueling and service, except they focus on guests instead of cars. One of the ways the Dickey’s team can recharge their own batteries and improve customer experience is through an in-house video training initiative.</a></div><div class="note-statusbar"><br></div><div class="note-statusbar"><a href="http://www.modernrestaurantmanagement.com/visual-training-engages-pit-crew-culture/" target="_blank">The nation's largest barbecue chain recently celebrated the 1,000th video uploaded into its training platform. Since 2014, the franchise has shown two training videos per day in every store to ensure quality, consistency and passion system-wide. Dickey's videos are viewed more than 1,000 times per day to approximately 8,000 team members for a total of approximately 730,000 views nationwide. The Dallas-based family-run fast-casual currently has 550 locations in 43 states.</a></div><div class="note-statusbar"><br></div><div class="note-statusbar"><a href="http://www.modernrestaurantmanagement.com/visual-training-engages-pit-crew-culture/" target="_blank">“Our training videos started as a fun exercise to create funny and informative training content to feature one standard or menu item per video,” Dickey’s Dean of Barbecue University Chris Kelley told Modern Restaurant Management magazine. “It grew into a more structured, informative resource, but we continue to focus on making our videos fun and engaging. The training videos are now viewed at the beginning of every shift (twice a day) in every Dickey’s location nationwide. We have a good group of people who are great at doing it. It sets the tone for a shift, is a great visual communication piece and pushes standard for business for consistency. Everyone has a screen these days and our videos make learning very easy and effective to engage people.”</a></div><div class="note-statusbar"><br></div><div class="note-statusbar"><a href="http://www.modernrestaurantmanagement.com/visual-training-engages-pit-crew-culture/" target="_blank">Training videos are approximately two minutes long and always feature a core standard, such as how to properly remove ribs from the smoker. Each also includes catering and marketing tips, as well as a daily F.A.C.T., in which a select ingredient gets the spotlight in Flavor, Appearance, Consistency and Taste.</a></div><div class="note-statusbar"><br></div><div class="note-statusbar"><a href="http://www.modernrestaurantmanagement.com/visual-training-engages-pit-crew-culture/" target="_blank">“We wanted to develop a curriculum that was more learner-friendly and engaging, to invite crew members into our culture and be excited to play a part in barbecue excellence,” said Kelley. “When we first started we had less than 50 views per day, now we have between 750-800 views per day.”</a></div><div class="note-statusbar"><br></div><div class="note-statusbar"><a href="http://www.modernrestaurantmanagement.com/visual-training-engages-pit-crew-culture/" target="_blank">Kelley pointed out that Dickey’s strives to relate to and engage every age bracket, with millennials being a large part of the workforce.</a></div><div class="note-statusbar"><br></div><div class="note-statusbar"><a href="http://www.modernrestaurantmanagement.com/visual-training-engages-pit-crew-culture/" target="_blank">“To hear your boss say something is one thing, but to hear it from the company really pushes the standard,” he said. “It’s like when you get advice from your dad – sometimes a third party has to validate. One of my biggest wishes is to show them our culture, our big picture, and get them excited about what we do. We have a cheer that we chant together in Barbecue University: “We are passionate about the art of great barbecue!”</a></div><div class="note-statusbar"><br></div><div class="note-statusbar"><a href="http://www.modernrestaurantmanagement.com/visual-training-engages-pit-crew-culture/" target="_blank">Dickey’s employs a full training team based out of the home office including a content writer, proofreader, videographer and video editor. In addition to the salaries, there were start-up costs including basic equipment of approximately $3,600.</a></div><div class="note-statusbar"><br></div><div class="note-statusbar"><a href="http://www.modernrestaurantmanagement.com/visual-training-engages-pit-crew-culture/" target="_blank">“First we write the script, and the whole team proofs at end of week,” said Kelley. “The following week we shoot a whole week’s worth in one day. This process used to take several days, but now we’re a well-oiled machine. It takes two to three days to edit and we all review as a team at the end of the week.”</a></div><div class="note-statusbar"><br></div><div class="note-statusbar"><a href="http://www.modernrestaurantmanagement.com/visual-training-engages-pit-crew-culture/" target="_blank">Staff training is just one part of the educational package at the chain. All Dickey’s new owner/operators attend Barbecue University, a four-week training program to teach restaurant operations and everything that goes with owning a Dickey’s Barbecue Pit franchise and the brand provides ongoing training and marketing support to each location.</a></div><div class="note-statusbar"><br></div><div class="note-statusbar"><a href="http://www.modernrestaurantmanagement.com/visual-training-engages-pit-crew-culture/" target="_blank">“These four weeks consist of classroom learning, PowerPoint presentations from several departments within the company and plenty of hands-on experience,” explained Kelley, who feels the overall program serves as a model for other companies. “It’s easier said than done and it’s a lot of work. We’ve come a long way over the years. When the training team started, the staff consisted of one trainer reading the ops manual to trainees. The training team developed further, adding staff and content, and that is how Barbecue University was born.”</a></div>

Modern Restaurant Management: Visual Training Engages 'Pit Crew' Culture

Read more at: [Hottytoddy.co](https://hottytoddy.com/2016/06/17/eatingoxford-dickeys-barbecue-pit-opens-in-oxford-2).

Eating Oxford: Dickey's Barbecue Pit Opens in Oxford

<div>See the full video and blog post on Foodable <a href="http://www.foodabletv.com/blog/2016/6/15/on-foodable-insight-series-restaurant-technology-trends-today" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>

Press Room