The Dickey's Barbecue Pit restaurants combine rustic charm with modern touches.
Dickey's Barbecue Pits will sport a new look but serve the same slow-smoked barbecue.

DALLAS – The barbecue may be the same, but Dickey’s Barbecue Pit restaurants will look a bit different going forward. The company recently opened a new concept store in Dallas to showcase a new design for its restaurants — a makeover from the ground up to the music playing over the sound system.

The model features décor made from sustainably sourced, reclaimed wood , an open kitchen floor plan, and a custom glass butcher case with the restaurant’s high-quality meats on display. The walls are adorned with hand-crafted design elements highlighting Dickey’s history paired with specially curated Texas singer/songwriter playlist heard from a Bose surround sound speaker system.

The new concept covers a smaller footprint, the company said. The new footprint has been reduced to 1,500 sq. ft. from more than 2,000 sq. ft. without altering restaurant seating capacity. Additionally, Dickey’s pits will be fueled by a proprietary blend of hickory wood pellets instead of wood logs which is a cost savings for the restaurants.

Roland Dickey, Jr., CEO, said the design refresh is aimed at attracting customers who have not dined at Dickey’s while continuing to attract long-time loyal customers.

“We are barbecue artisans and it was time to create a more modern take on the traditional Dickey’s experience — it was the natural evolution of the brand,” Dickey said. “From the front to back-of-house we’ve made the entire model more efficient while reinvigorating the guest experience with a trendy, high energy environment. Guests have access to free Wi-Fi and electrical outlets at our dining tables,” he said. “In addition, the menu has been streamlined, now with seven slow-smoked meats and eight home-style sides down from eight meats and 12 sides including new items such as asiago cheese creamed spinach.”