Dickey’s Barbecue Pit: A Texas Tradition Since 1941
December 31, 2023
Celebrating 82 years in 2023!
In 1941, Travis Dickey opened the first Dickey’s Barbecue Pit in Dallas, Texas. Dickey loved the slow-smoked goodness of a barbecue. In the early days of business, Travis worked the back and Miss Ollie Dickey served sandwiches. The menu was limited to beef brisket, pit hams, barbecue beans, potato chips, beer, bottled milk and sodas.
In 1967, Travis Dickey’s sons, Roland and T.D., took over the business. They carried on their father’s tradition of quality, hickory smoked meats. The brothers expanded the business throughout the Dallas Fort Worth area. Their popularity grew quickly and soon they were catering parties and other social events.
Today there are 587 Dickey’s Barbecue Pit restaurants in 44 of the United States.
Over the years, the logo has changed, but Dickey’s Barbecue Pit still slow-smokes all meats on-site just as they did in 1941. Today’s menu features beef brisket, pulled pork, St. Louis-style ribs, polish sausage, spicy cheddar sausage, smoked turkey, and marinated chicken. Dickey’s fans can also choose from a huge variety of homestyle sides from jalapeño beans to macaroni and cheese. Buttery rolls are served with every meal and, if that’s not enough, patrons can enjoy Dickey’s free ice cream for dessert. And, let’s not forget that kids eat free on Sunday.
Roland Dickey, Jr. became Chief Executive Officer in 2006. As the business continued to expand, Roland Dickey, Jr. took on the position of CEO of Dickey’s Capital Group and his wife, Laura Rea Dickey, made the move to CEO of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc.
In 2015, Ernst & Young recognized Roland Dickey Jr. as Entrepreneur Of The Year Award Winner in the Southwest Region.
In 2018, the company opened its first international location in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and in 2019, a second location opened in Dubai. Dickey’s customized its menu for locals, adding offerings such as smoked lamb and beef sausages. Today, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit can be found in Japan, starting with Singapore and expansion is planned for every other major city in the country. In 2022, expansion began in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and, one is just about to open in our hometown of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Today, the Dickey family still serves up the same quality barbecue recipes handed down for generations coupled with the same brand of southern hospitality, only on a much larger scale.
Gloria Sauvé
Communications