A Dickey’s Barbecue Pit Franchise May Cost Less Than You Think

Opening any franchise is an investment-an investment of time and money. Before owning and operating a franchise, it’s imperative for potential franchisees to have a good understanding of the franchise cost. In the restaurant industry, franchising other quick-service brands can cost around $2 million, and for a full-service restaurant, it can be $3 million or more. That’s not the case with franchising a Dickey’s Barbecue Pit.

Some brands, like Dickey’s Barbecue Pit franchise, have worked to make ownership more feasible for new and existing franchisees. Over the past several years, the Texas-style barbecue brand has reduced franchise costs for a traditional unit by up to 26%. Dickey’s has adjusted it’s barrier to entry in order to adapt new models and better reflect ever changing construction costs.

“Compared to other franchised restaurant brands, our initial investment costs are actually some of the lowest in the industry,” Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey’s Restaurants, Inc. “We know that cost is a huge—if not the most—important factor when investing in a franchise. We have brought our initial investment costs down significantly because we want the Dickey’s Franchise opportunity to be an approachable and affordable option for those looking to invest.”

How much is a Dickey’s BBQ franchise?

Qualified Dickey’s franchisees are required to have a minimum net worth of $450,000 and a minimum liquid capital of $100,000. In total, the franchise investment for owning a Dickey’s Barbecue Pit restaurant can start as little as $181,816 to upwards of $465,562 for a full, new construction build-out.

To stay nimble against ever-changing economic climates, Dickey’s offers several models of their concept. Most recently, Dickey’s launched their virtual kitchen model, which offers a more fast-tracked and cost-efficient opportunity for franchisees. With little equipment to purchase and shared kitchen spaces, the total virtual kitchen investment is under $100,000. On top of the lower cost of entry, the virtual kitchen model also gets franchisees up and running in just a few weeks.

The BBQ brand also offers other flexible franchise plans that can work in nontraditional spaces such as convenience stores, theme parks, and malls, or models that are utilized exclusively for delivery or carry-out.

Fast-casual chains are still one of the fastest growing segments in the restaurant industry, with barbecue brands offering tremendous growth opportunities within the category. In a 2020 survey, 76% of respondents said they plan to continue or increase their visit frequency to barbecue restaurants, indicating that consumer demand for Dickey’s delicious, slow-smoked Texas-style barbecue remains strong as ever.

“Having been in the barbecue business for nearly 80 years, we know what it takes to successfully operate a restaurant,” Dickey said. “We believe barbecue is a comfort food that brings people together, so we’ll continue to adapt our models, while staying true to our roots, so we can serve as many folks as we can our Legit. Texas. Barbecue.”

To learn more about the cost and fees of franchising a Dickey’s, visit: franchise.dickeys.com/us-franchise-opportunity/costs-fees.