Dickey’s Barbecue Pit spent the past year collaborating with franchisees to cut its menu by 42% in an effort to combat food inflation, maintain value to guests and simplify ordering.
Reductions to the menu were data driven and focused on removing items highly impacted by sourcing and inflation as well as specialty items with longer preparation times, according to a press release. Guest preferences were also a guide as the brand, “aimed to cut with the precision of a scalpel and the heart of a pit master,” CEO Laura Rea Dickey said in the release.
“The decision to optimize our menu is a sign of the times,” Dickey said in the release. “We will always serve the highest quality, pit master prepared Legit Texas barbecue, but we must evolve to stay successful. We needed a sustainable menu with a simplified ordering process, profit protection for franchisees and true value for our loyal guests. If necessity is the mother of invention, then challenges are the parents of creativity. The restaurant industry has battled a challenging economy, food inflation, labor shortages and depressed consumer spending, so that requires a creative solution to continue our success as the world’s largest barbecue brand. We’ve had an overwhelmingly positive guest response to our optimized menu with folks appreciating the value combos. Franchises are appreciative of seeing higher check averages and rising sales.”
Adjustments include:
- Redesigned menu boards now feature core barbecue offerings like brisket, ribs, kielbasa sausage, pulled pork, chicken and smoked wings, as plates and sandwiches but with fewer specialty sandwiches.
- Guests have seven combo meal options.
- Turkey is no longer available year-round due to the continuing supply issues and rising costs, however Dickey’s will offer the whole-smoked and fried turkeys for holidays meals.
- Burnt ends have been removed from the menu, and sides were trimmed from 11 to seven.
Dickey’s has 600 global locations.
