Dickey's Barbecue Pit is an American family-owned barbecue restaurant chain based in Dallas, Texas, and is a subsidiary of Dickey's Capital Group. Since Travis Dickey established the restaurant in 1941, it has become the largest barbecue franchise in the United States and worldwide.
History
1941 to 2017; Early history
In 1941, Travis Dickey founded Dickey's Barbecue Pit in Dallas, Texas. The original location was a bar where Dickey sold barbecue from a pit he built in back.[4] The original location was a family run business with Dickey's wife working the front of the house. The original location was still open as of 2025, making it the longest continuously operating restaurant in Dallas.[4]
Travis Dickey died of a heart attack in 1967 and his son Roland Dickey took over the business. He opened a second and third restaurant in 1968 and 1969. Over the next 25 years, a dozen more locations were opened.[5]