An expanding appetite : Barbecue chain opens what operator hopes will be first of many Northwest Arkansas locations

By Kevin Kinder

Posted: August 14, 2009 at 5:29 a.m.

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Northwest Arkansas — Customers often tell Randon Arney they were first introduced to Dickey's Barbecue Pit at its location at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

It's the same place that Arney, who with his wife Rachel, now owns the rights to five Dickey's restaurant in the Northwest Arkansas, discovered the chain. His travels took him elsewhere through Texas, where he then visited other locations of the expanding chain, which has been in business at its original location since 1941.

When Arney began looking for business opportunities in the area, Dickey's wasn't offering franchises in the Northwest Arkansas area. As other pursuits didn't work, Arney went back to Dickey's. With the company willing to move to the area, he purchased the franchise rights for locations in Bentonville, Rogers, Lowell, Fayetteville and Springdale in July 2008.

As Arney slowly works to find locations for the other restaurants - the goal is to open a new location about every nine months - the Lowell store is the first to open its doors. It began operations July 28 in a former Starbucks on Dixieland Road.

The meats featured in the sandwiches are smoked onsite daily, sometimes overnight, such as the brisket, which is cooked for about nine hours.

Dickey's has two smokers in the restaurant which use hickory wood for the smoky flavor in the meat.

"There is no liquid smoke, period," Arney said.

The new location in Lowell is among the first of a new type of Dickey's restaurant that tries to expedite the serving process.

There is no wait staff, as customers order at a counter, have the meat cut for them and the then proceed to the cash register and, lastly, the beverage station.

The food at Dickey's starts with the sandwiches, which come in four sizes: The Lil' Hoagie ($3); The Big Barbecue Sandwich, which features a quarter-pound of smoked meat ($4); The Really Big Po' Boy ($5); and The Westerner, which features a choice of two meats and cheese ($6).

Meat choices are Southern pulled pork, chopped beef brisket, sliced beef brisket, Virginia-style ham, turkey breast, chicken breast, polish sausage, hot links and pork ribs. The meats can be dressed with one of three sauce varieties: Dickey's Original, Hot and Sweet.

The meats can be sold as a platter with a roll instead of the sandwich bread. Options include The Quarter Plate ($4); The 1 Meat Plate ($6.25); The 2 Meat Plate ($6.75); The Rib Plate ($6.75) or The 3 Veggie Plate, which includes a choice of three of the restaurant's side items ($4.50).

Side options, served a la carte for $1.50, are waffle fries coleslaw, Caesar salad, Onion Tanglers, green beans with bacon, potato salad, barbecue beans, jalapeno beans, fried okra, macaroni and cheese, and baked potato casserole.

Patrons can make any of the sandwich or meat plates a combo by adding a side and small drink for $2.50 and any additional side for $1.

Other options include several different baked potatoes ($4-6) and two salads, the Chicken Caesar Salad, served with the restaurant's smoked chicken ($5) or the Smokehouse Salad, which is topped with any of Dickey's smoked meats ($6).

One of the early best sellers at the restaurant is a package that offers a little bit of it all.

The XL Family Pack is a choice of a pound each of three of the smoked meat varieties, three choices of sides, and six rolls and enough barbecue sauce to accompany the meats ($32).

Arney said companies and large families have been ordering the XL packs as a cheap way to feed large groups.

Smaller but similar options include the Family Pack, which includes 2 pounds of meat, three sides and six rolls ($26) and the Picnic Pack, which includes a pound of meat, two sides and four rolls ($16).

The restaurant is also a catering hub that offers delivery service on large orders. Box lunches, which include a barbecue sandwich, chips, a vegetable choice, a pickle and sauce begin at $5.50. The restaurant also caters via barbecue buffet or full-service catering.

Entertainment, Pages 20, 26 on 08/14/2009

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