Dickey's opens 28 new ghost kitchens
A leading fast-casual barbecue chain has expanded its fleet of ghost kitchens to better serve its customers.
Dickey’s Barbecue Pit opened 28 new ghost kitchens across several states in September 2025, which it says will help meet the growing demand for online ordering. The chain opened eight in its home state of Texas, along with locations in Arizona, Alabama, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Illinois and Florida.
Dickey’s says the ghost kitchen expansion is aimed at serving communities where a brick-and-mortar location may not exist yet.
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“Ghost Kitchens allow us to bring ‘Legit. Texas. Barbecue.’ to more guests faster than ever before,” said Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. “It is about meeting our guests where they are whether they are in a bustling city or a suburban neighborhood and delivering the same authentic barbecue experience with the convenience of digital ordering. This model amplifies our ability to innovate while keeping the traditions of slow smoked barbecue alive.”
Last month, Dickey’s shared that it opened 46 new locations across 17 U.S. states and internationally in Canada and the Philippines during the first three quarters of 2025. Dickey’s is on track to exceed 60 new openings by the end of the year, which will push its systemwide store count past 400 restaurants worldwide.
“Expansion has always been part of our DNA,” said Roland Dickey, Jr., CEO of Dickey’s Capital Group. “What started with my grandfather in 1941 has grown into a brand that thrives on adaptability. Ghost Kitchens allow us to scale quickly, support our franchisees, and open doors in markets that might otherwise take years to develop.
Founded in 1941, Dickey’s is the world’s largest barbecue concept and continues as a third-generation family-run business. The chain is known for its meats smoked over hickory wood and various Southern side dishes.
