BIOGRAPHY
Chief Executive Officer, Dickey's Capital Group
Roland Dickey, Jr. is the Chief Executive Officer of Dickey’s Capital Group (DCG), the holding company of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. The grandson of the company’s founder, Dickey, Jr. began working for the family brand early on, learning the trades of the family smoking process from his dad. He went on to earn his degree in Business Administration at Southern Methodist University and came back to his family’s brand in 1999, where he then transitioned into his current leadership role in 2016.
Dickey Jr runs the Dickey Family portfolio of businesses, which includes consumer retail products, food manufacturing (Sauce, Spice and Proteins), real estate holdings, and eight family-owned barbecue restaurants, as well as collaborates with Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants Inc. and Spark Hospitality Technology. Previously, Dickey Jr lead Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, a Dallas-based, third-generation family run restaurant business, as CEO. Dickey Jr served at the helm of the restaurant company for 10 years before moving to his current role in 2016, expanding and vertically integrating the barbecue brand. In Dickey Jr’s leadership of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. he brought the company from 20 locations to more than 375 barbecue restaurants, within the brand's portfolio of over 800 restaurants across eight concepts.
Dickey Jr's most recent accomplishments with DCG were recognized in 2023 by Franchise Update Media at the 5th annual Innovation Awards, receiving the Most Innovative Supply Chain Improvements Award for the opening of WD Provisions, their USDA-inspected production facility, state-of-the-art manufacturing, and distribution plant in Mesquite, Texas.
Dickey Jr is dedicated to continually taking his family’s businesses to new heights, leading its evolution from a local barbecue joint to the successful fast-casual chain and barbecue brand it is today. By offering franchising opportunities, developing eCommerce, creating retail products for grocery stores, and embracing restaurant technology, Dickey’s has seen exponential growth, earning the title of the nation’s largest barbecue chain. Though Dickey’s growth nationwide has rapidly expanded, the brand still prides itself on authentic, slow-smoked, Texas-style barbecue, served with a signature side of southern hospitality.
Dickey joined the family business in 1999 after gaining valuable leadership experience in the restaurant industry outside the family business. Dickey Jr was honored by Restaurant Business Magazine as a part of the Power 20 in the restaurant industry. Dickey’s Barbecue was named “Fasted Growing Restaurant Chain” by Technomic 2013 and “Top 5 Growth Brand” by Nation’s Restaurant News and “Best Franchise Deal” by QSR Magazine in 2012. Dickey Jr., was named to Nation’s Restaurant News 50 most powerful people in foodservice in 2017. He was also named to D Magazine’s Top 500 CEO list in 2017 and 2018. Other accolades Dickey, Jr. has accumulated during his time as CEO include earning Global Franchise Best Food and Drink Franchise 2019 award and QSR’s Best Franchise Deal in 2012 and 2015. The brand has been recognized as one of Fast Casual’s Top 100 Movers and Shakers each year for the past decade, winning the number one spot in 2016. In 2019 Dickey’s was awarded the Most Established Brand award by Franchise Help and the nearly 80 year-old-brand has also been recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine, Franchise Times, and USA Today reader’s Choice Awards. Dickey Jr has been recognized by numerous publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Dallas Morning News, QSR Magazine, Forbes Magazine, and Nation's Restaurant News.