Famous Dave's Franchise Information

Famous Dave's is an award-winning barbeque concept that offers wood-smoked and off-the-grill entree favorites, founded nearly 25 years ago. Always keeping things fresh and innovative, the brand went through a refresh that brought 23 new founder-inspired menu items to its Coon Rapids, Minnesota location for fans to taste and try. Franchisees and fans narrowed these 23 items down to four core items, which were rolled out to all 151 restaurants in the system in October of 2018. This annoucement comes on the heel of addiitonal recent brand innovations including the introduction of a new smaller restaurant footprint, as well as investments in new technology including online ordering and third party delivery.

Founder Famous Dave is leading the charge in culinary innovation alongside Head of Culinary Sylvia Matzke-Hill who joined the brand in 2018 from Buffalo Wild Wings. The new leadership team also features CEO Jeff Crivello at the helm and Co-Chief Operating Officer Al Hank, both focused on bringing the right franchisees into the system and positioning them for success, while showcasing a strong model through the corporate-owned locations.

Famous Dave's always looking for ways to meet ever-changing customer preferences. In August of 2017, the brand launched third-party delivery at all corporate locations, with plans to roll out to franchise locations next. The launch of delivery also allowed for a shift in customers and Famous Dave's was able to tap into a younger demographic. Given the success of delivery and catering, Famous Dave's is also exploring delivery-only models. This new concept, which fits in just 500 to 800 square feet, compared to the 5,000 square feet of the traditional model, is designed for food preparation and quick delivery of the same fan-favorite menu offered at full-service locations.