GF podcast: Laura Rea Dickey of Dickey’s Barbecue Pit

The CEO of the 80-year-old barbeque brand takes a deep dive into the dos and don’ts of future-proofing a legacy franchise

The CEO of the 80-year-old barbeque brand takes a deep dive into the dos and don’ts of future-proofing a legacy franchise.

This episode of the Global Franchise Podcast is brought to you by fit20, a revolutionary 20-minute fitness concept disrupting the industry. For more information about how you can become a part of this exciting network, head over to fit20.com .

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit has been a staple of the North American restaurant scene since Travis Dickey opened the first location’s doors in Dallas, Texas in 1941. In the years since, the brand has updated its technology and convenience to appeal to the 21st-century consumer – and yet, somehow, has never lost sight of its people-first roots.

Whether this means signing a ghost kitchen partnership to open 100 virtual restaurants in the U.S., or pushing ahead with an “evolve or die” mantra, Dickey’s exemplifies how to keep a legacy brand updated for a modern crowd. And it shows: with over 550 sites currently open around the world, Dickey’s is on track to hit 700 by the end of this year.

To glean some insight into exactly how the operation has remained on the cutting-edge for 80 years, we caught up with Laura Rea Dickey, CEO. Previously chief information officer for the franchise brand, Laura knows a thing or two about putting your best tech foot forward.