PLATTSBURGH — Two area residents hope to open a Dickey’s Barbecue Pit in Plattsburgh sometime this summer.
“We’re looking forward to bringing good barbecue to Plattsburgh,” said WPTZ Meteorologist Jim Moore, whose partner on the project is Plattsburgh native Ryan Tolbert.
RESTAURANT TIES
Tolbert has been involved in the restaurant business since he was a youngster. His grandfather, Wayne Tolbert, owned eatery Tolbert’s Mineshaft in Lyon Mountain.
“I was always the little one running around the restaurant,” he said.
He and Moore are still working to secure a location; they prefer to renovate an existing structure. They were not able to say how much seating they plan or the employees expected to be hired.
TASTY CHOICES
Moore said they chose to start a Dickey’s Barbecue Pit franchise based on the quality of the product.
“I’ve eaten there before. It’s really good,” he said.
Dickey’s Barbecue Pit offers sandwiches or meat plates. Meat choices include pulled pork, beef brisket, ham, turkey, chicken, Polish sausage, hot links and pork ribs.
The meat is slow cooked over hickory wood overnight.
Sandwiches can be garnished with jalapenos, barbecue ranch sauce, shredded cheddar and coleslaw and three flavors of barbecue sauce.
Side dishes include waffle iron fries, coleslaw, onion tanglers, green beans with bacon, potato salad, barbecue beans, jalapeno beans, fried okra, macaroni and cheese, baked-potato casserole, a variety of stuffed baked potatoes, chicken caesar salad and salad.
Any food or beverage purchase entitles the diner to free ice cream. The chain is also noted for its large yellow beverage cups.
FAMILY ORIENTED
On Sundays, each adult meal earns a free children’s meal.
Tolbert said they want to include a focus on ensuring that children have a pleasant experience in the restaurant.
Dickey’s Barbecue Pit opened in Dallas in 1941 and started to offer franchises in 1994. The chain has 146 locations in 33 states.
It has opened 12 restaurants since the start of the year and plans to open 60 by the end of the year.
‘SO THRILLED’
Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants President Roland Dickey Jr. said Plattsburgh is a wonderful opportunity for the chain.
“We are so thrilled Dickey’s will be expanding in New York and to the people of Plattsburgh,” he said in a statement. “It is a great community, and we are very excited to have a franchise here. As our company grows, we grow as a family.”
New franchisees undergo a extensive preparation process to ensure they are equipped for success.
“We have so many new owners/operators who are investing with us,” Dickey said. “With this economy, we are glad people trust us for success, and we certainly don’t want to take that for granted. … We don’t plan on going anywhere but up.”
LEAVING WPTZ
The new venture will be quite a change for Moore, who is a full-time meteorologist at WPTZ. He plans to leave his full-time job there by Labor Day but hopes to remain as a fill-in weatherman when others are on vacation.
WPTZ News Director Sinan Sadar said finding Moore’s replacement is a top priority.
“For 11 years, Jim gave his best to this station and our viewers,” he said in a press release.
“I thank him for his hard work. He is a nice guy, and I wish him the best of luck in fulfilling his lifelong dream of owning his own business.”
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Article source: http://pressrepublican.com/0100_news/x57646150/Dickeys-Barbecue-Pit-may-come-to-Plattsburgh
