Dive Brief:
- Dickey’s Barbecue Pit has expanded its menu with a Southern-inspired lineup, the company said Tuesday in a press release.
- The brand added at least seven new items to its core menu as part of its 83rd anniversary celebration. Dickey’s is undergoing a strategic shift that includes reinvesting in its restaurants with elements like new signage and digital menu boards.
- The company said earlier in October that it would stop expanding five non-barbecue brands, several of which started as virtual brands.
Dive Insight:
The new items expand Dickey’s current sandwich menu, which includes a pulled pork sandwich, Texas brisket sandwich and turkey sandwich. Dickey’s said its market research indicated consumers would welcome chicken sandwiches from the brand, and that Southern flavors, in particular, help complement its core barbecue menu. The chain previously offered chicken fried steak and is bringing it back with the new menu.
The expansion of the menu comes over a year after the chain cut its menu by 42% in a move to maintain its value despite rising input costs, according to Fast Casual. Last March, the company trimmed burnt ends from the menu and reduced its sides from 11 to seven.
In addition to the Southern-inspired sandwich menu, the chain is adding giant baked potatoes, like its Chicken Crispy Chicken Baker. That potato has warm butter, sour cream, green onions and melted cheddar cheese topped with crispy chicken and a choice of sauce.
“This new menu is all about indulgence—pairing the familiar, smoky flavors our guests know and love with Southern favorites that offer a whole new way to experience Dickey’s,” Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of the chain, said in a statement.
Dickey’s latest strategy shifts comes shortly after one of its franchisees declared bankruptcy and a sharp decline in total store count. The company has been operating with a net loss over the past three years, though losses improved from $7.7 million in 2022 to $5.6 million in 2023.
Fast casual chains, like Noodles & Company, Smashburger, Blaze Pizza and Panera, as well as casual chains, including Red Robin, Maggiano’s, Perkins and Cracker Barrel, have been overhauling their menus since last year to try and drive traffic with new and lapsed customers. Noodles & Company rolled out its first three new menu dishes in early October as part of a refresh that would touch most of its products.
