It seems that the fast-casual dining concept initiated by Famous Dave's years ago is finally experiencing its moment in the sun. The beloved barbecue joint has opened a new location in Brookfield, Wisconsin that features old-timey counter-service, which is a far cry from the full-service restaurant model Famous Dave's has been known for. In fact, this new location is an indication of what's to come, as the chain plans on revamping many of its locations in an effort to meet changing consumer behaviors.
These new locations will be smaller with less seating and focus on "off-premise" dining, aka take-out orders. The COVID-19 pandemic changed numerous restaurants, and it seems that the pandemic accelerated the customer push towards takeout orders at Famous Dave's (though changes had been underway at the establishment before the pandemic). Speaking with Restaurant Dive , chief operating officer of BBQ Holdings (the parent company of Famous Dave's) Al Hank stated, "Pre-pandemic we were doing between 35% to 40% of our revenue off-premise.
Post-pandemic, that number is more like 55% to 60%. [..
.] As the consumer has changed their behavior, we've continued to evolve the prototype's design, footprint, layout, model, etc." Other changes to expect from Famous Dave's It's not entirely clear where Famous Dave's new dining concepts will appear, but Al Hank anticipates that two to six new locations will debut in 2025 (according to his conversation with Restaurant Dive ).
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