What's next for BBQ?

In the Lone Star State, barbecue isn’t just food—it’s a way of life. On any given day, more than 300 people can be found forming a winding line outside of Franklin Barbecue in Austin, Texas just to try the world-famous joint’s renowned brisket. Determining the state’s best soot-stained spot for perfect pulled pork will forever be a heated point of contention. For Elizabeth Taylor to become a true Texan in the movie “Giant,” she had to get her first taste of true Texas-smoked meat.

Most everyone has an opinion on what constitutes great barbecue in Texas. Just ask Roland Dickey Sr., chairman of the eponymous Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants Inc. Real barbecue is smoked every night on-site. Meat can’t be generic or contain preservatives. And whatever you do, don’t prepare the meat with the sauce on it.

If Dickey Sr., seems nitpicky about his cuisine of choice, that’s because he is—and it pays off. With 400 locations in 40 states, the Dallas-based Dickey’s Barbecue was recently named the fastest-growing fast-casual chain in 2014 by Chicago-based market research firm, Technomic.

“People want good food and good value, but they don’t have time to cook anymore,” Dickey Sr., said in an interview with D Magazine. “There’s a serious void for good barbecue, and our goal is to bring our level of quality and consistency across the country.”

Sales at U.S. barbecue restaurants grew 7.2 percent to $2.9 billion in 2014, according to Technomic. The rate is nearly double the growth of the overall industry, where sales ticked up just 3.8 percent over the same period. The number of barbecue-focused restaurants jumped 8.1 percent to 1,942, with most of the growth coming from limited-service or fast-casual formats.

Much of this momentum is behind a growing slate of quick-service players, such as Dickey’s Barbecue. The success of Dickey’s has brought with it the beginning of a barbecue renaissance, and dozens of fast-casual restaurants are joining in on the country’s insatiable desire for true, Southern-style smoked meats.

“We’re noticing a new trend in barbecue. We’re seeing patrons flock to fast-casual barbecue concepts because they offer the best of both worlds: The hospitality of a full-service family-barbecue concept and the no-frills service of a barbecue shack,” said Darren Tristano, executive vice president of Technomic , in their 2014 Top 500 Chain Restaurants Report.

Like others in the fast-casual sector, barbecue concepts share a dedication to high-quality offerings—meats are slow-cooked for hours in large smokers, and sauces are typically prepared in house. At Old Carolina Barbecue Co., an Ohio chain that aims to bring a bit of the South to the North with its Carolina-style barbecue fare, all meats are smoked for up to 14 hours onsite over hickory wood and are offered with a range of their signature Carolina-style sauces and Southern sides.

Tristano believes that the fast-casual barbecue sector is currently underdeveloped —but there’s a great potential to grow. In order to succeed in the competitive fast-casual sector, barbecue concepts need to tout premium preparations, such as slicing meat and pulling pork to order or building an open kitchen format that display smokers and piles of wood. The restaurants should also be well-trained in regional flavor profiles and offer “snout-to-tail” ingredients.

With nearly 200 units nationwide, the casual-dining chain Famous Dave’s has found their niche by offering a smattering of regional dishes, such as Georgia chopped pork, Texas beef brisket and burnt ends, and St. Louis-style baby-back ribs. Realizing the potential in expanding the reach of their diverse flavors, Famous Dave’s decided to follow industry trends and open a casual, quick-service take on their original sit-down restaurant. The chain now serves its award-winning barbecue faster—without skimping on quality—through their Famous Dave’s Shack experience.

Most recently, Dave Anderson, the founder of Famous Dave’s, introduced his new Jimmie’s Old Southern BBQ Smokehouse, another quick-service concept inspired by the old-fashioned barbecue storefronts found on the south side of Chicago.

While industry trends will always ebb and flow, Dickey’s Barbecue, Famous Dave’s and Old Carolina recognize one constant in their roadmap to success—good barbecue comes down to passion.

“My love for barbecue runs to the core of my soul, and I love to innovate and constantly improve,” said Anderson in a press release. “The market for barbecue is growing explosively, and there is plenty of room for the many different types of barbecue in America.”