From Navy Veteran to Pit Master: Port Orchard Opens Dickey’s

(Port Orchard, WA) Thomas Driver will add another achievement to his long list on Thursday, July 17 at 11 a.m., when he opens his first Dickey’s Barbecue Pit  in Port Orchard. The Port Orchard resident retired in 2010 after a 27-year Navy career as a senior officer and hospital administrator. He also holds a law degree, doctorate in ministry and a PH.D in business. To celebrate his newest success, Driver is hosting a three-day grand opening celebration. The first 50 guests will receive gift cards worth up to $50.

“I’m looking forward to the community of Port Orchard having an exciting new concept and getting to finally experience authentic barbecue,” said first time franchise owner, Thomas Driver. “I’ve always wanted to own a restaurant and Dickey’s Barbecue offered the exact concept and food that fit my business appetite.”

Friday, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit will offer all day merchandise giveaways. On Saturday, radio station 94.1 KMPS will be on-site and customers can stop by for $2 pulled pork barbecue sandwiches from noon to 2 p.m.  Also, one lucky winner will be chosen for a $500 gift card, two winners will receive free barbecue for an entire year.

Driver has four more Dickey’s Barbecue Pit locations planned for the Kitsap Peninsula area. Dickey’s Barbecue Pit in Port Orchard is located at 1800 Mile Hill Drive, Suite 160 & 170 and the store phone number is 360-602-0424. Can’t wait till July 17? Check out all the details on this new location on Facebook.

About Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc.

Founded in 1941 by the Dickey family, Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. is the world’s largest barbecue concept and continues as a third-generation family-run business. For more than 80 years, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit has served millions with its signature Legit. Texas. Barbecue.™ Slow-smoked over hickory wood-burning pits, Dickey’s barbecued meats are paired with a variety of Southern sides. Committed to authentic barbecue, Dickey’s never takes shortcuts — because real barbecue can’t be rushed.

With more than 866 restaurants across eight concepts in the U.S. and several countries, Dickey’s Barbecue Franchise and Dickey’s Restaurant Brands continue to grow under the leadership of Roland Dickey Jr., CEO of Dickey’s Capital Group, and Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc.

Dickey’s has been recognized on Newsweek’s 2022 “America’s Favorite Restaurant Chains” list, Nation’s Restaurant News 2024 top fast-casual brands for value, and USA Today’s 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards. The brand has also ranked in the Top 20 of Fast Casual’s “Top 100 Movers and Shakers” for four of the past five years. Additional accolades include Entrepreneur’s Top 500 Franchise and Hospitality Technology’s Industry Heroes list. The brand has been featured by Fox News, Forbes, Franchise Times, The Wall Street Journal, and People Magazine.

For more information, visit www.dickeys.com. For franchise opportunities, visit www.dickeysfranchise.com.