Famous Dave’s

Famous Dave’s is a well-established American barbecue restaurant brand that began in 1994, when founder Dave Anderson opened the first location in Hayward, Wisconsin. The restaurant quickly earned a loyal following for its pit-smoked meats and Southern-style sides, building a reputation that extended beyond its Midwest roots. A major milestone came as the brand’s signature ribs and sauces started winning awards at national barbecue competitions, helping Famous Dave’s expand its presence across the country.

As of November 2025, Famous Dave’s operates approximately 117 restaurants in more than 30 states, including both company-owned and franchised locations. The company is part of BBQ Holdings, Inc., which oversees several other restaurant concepts from its headquarters in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Over the past five years, Famous Dave’s has adapted to shifts in consumer dining habits by introducing smaller-format restaurants and ghost kitchen operations. These new formats allow the brand to enter suburban and urban infill markets with greater flexibility and to serve customers through off-premise channels such as delivery and takeout.

Recent growth has included new openings in Texas, Florida, and the Midwest, as well as international expansion into Canada and the United Arab Emirates. The brand’s willingness to convert existing restaurant spaces and pursue franchise agreements has supported its steady expansion. Famous Dave’s now offers a range of scalable restaurant formats, making it a versatile and credible tenant for a variety of retail and mixed-use environments. Its established national footprint, ongoing innovation, and stable franchise network position the brand as a resilient player in the evolving restaurant landscape.