Famous Dave’s (pc: thecalifornian.com)
Dave Anderson grew up in Chicago with love for BBQ instilled in him by his dad who was a Choctaw Indian and loved to smoke BBQ. It was that inspiration and passion that led Anderson to open the original Famous Dave’s in Hayward, Wisconsin in 1994. Although he no longer owns the chain that bears his name, he has never stopped his love and passion for BBQ and restaurants. In fact, he’s created a new restaurant, BBQ of course, after all, he is “America’s Rib King.”
General Restaurant Information
Food Type: Barbecue
Restaurant Type: Casual Dining
U.S. Locations: 173
States: 33 states, Famous Dave’s Locations
Company Slogan: America’s Favorite BBQ
Contact Information
Website: famousdaves.com
Questions: Contact Information
Phone number: 952-294-1300
Email: Contact Form Only
Blog: No
FAQ Page: No
Ownership
Who Owns Famous Dave’s? Famous Dave’s of America
Headquartered: Minnetonka, MN
Contact Information:
Website: famousdaves.com/
Email/contact page: Contact Information
Phone: 952-294-1300
Address: 12701 Whitewater Drive, Suite 200, Minnetonka, MN 55343
Do They Franchise? Franchise Information
What Is It Like To Work At Famous Dave’s?
3.8/5 or 76%; 848 Reviews (indeed.com)
3.4/5, or 68%; 267 Reviews (glassdoor.com)
What to expect when working at Famous Dave’s (job-applications.com)
Original Famous Dave’s – 9971 N Grand Pines Lane, Hayward, WI (original burned down November 2014)(pc:businesswire.com)
The History of Famous Dave’s
Original Location: 9971 N Grand Pines Lane, Hayward, Wisconsin (burned down November 2014)
Founded: May 1994
Founded By: Dave Anderson
Biography Articles:
Meet Dave (famousdaves.com)
David W. Anderson (wikiwand.com)
Chef Dave Anderson – Biography (starchefs.com)
Dave Anderson is opening a new barbecue restaurant (startribune.com)
Dave Anderson (texaztaste.com)
Founder Obituary: Still Living
Name Origin: Name based on the founder, Dave Anderson. You can read more of his story and how he became “Famous Dave”
History Page: Company History Page
Current View of Original Location: 9971 N Grand Pines Lane as it is today (link may not work on mobile devices without Google Maps)
Historical Articles:
The Legend of Famous Dave’s (famousdavesbbqco.com)
Social Awareness
Charity Focus: Food for hungry, Disaster relief
Green | Eco-Friendly: No resources found
Animal Cruelty: No resources found
Discounts At Famous Dave’s
Rewards Program: Famous Dave’s Reward Program
Do Kids Eat Free at Famous Dave’s?
What day do kids eat free? Some locations offer it on Monday, some on Tuesdays
Summary: Most locations if offering kids eat free will offer on Mondays, but some participating locations use Tuesday. Also, some locations may charge $.99 as opposed to offering it free. As always, check your local restaurant for details and information.
Does Famous Dave’s Offer Military Discounts?
Summary: Yes, Veteran’s Day, all active and former military personnel receive a free two meat combo.
What Does Famous Dave’s offer for My Birthday!?
Summary: Currently, when you join their Famous Nation reward program they will give you “a tasty gift for your birthday, just for signing up”.
Does Famous Dave’s Offer First Responder Discounts?
Summary: No resources found
Does Famous Dave’s Offer Senior Citizen | AARP Discounts?
Summary: All customers 50 years or older receive two entrees for 12.99 or a feast meal for 2 at 24.99 on select days at participating locations
Are There Any Other Discounts or Benefits at Famous Dave’s?
Summary: When you join their Famous Nation rewards program, they offer special promotions throughout the year as well as barbecue tips.
Famous Dave’s (pc-groupon.com)
Amenities
Order Online: Online Order
WiFi Available: Yes
Use Apple Pay: No
Reservations: No
Catering: Catering Menu
Drive-Thru: No
Open 24 Hours: No
Customer Reviews of Famous Dave’s
Yelp: 3.3/5 or 66%, 3,445 reviews sampled
Tripadvisor: 4.2/5 or 83%, 1,987 reviews sampled
Overall (weighted) Average: 3.62/5 or 72%, 15,600 reviews sampled
Famous Dave's & Related Items on Amazon
Food & Nutrition
Menu: Famous Dave’s Menu
Kids Menu: Famous Dave’s Kids Menu
Secret Menu: No resources found
Most Popular Menu Item: No resources found
Coke or Pepsi: Pepsi
Serve Alcohol: Yes
Nutritional Information: Famous Dave’s Nutrition Guide
Vegetarian | Vegan Options:
145 Vegan Chain Restaurant Menus Every Vegan Needs to Know (urbantastebud.com)
Farm to Table | Organic Options | Clean | Non-GMO: No resources found
Miscellaneous Nutrition Resources:
Nutrition Information (livestrong.com) (fatsecret.com) (nutrition-charts.com)
How to Eat Healthy at Famous Dave’s (oureverydaylife.com)
Famous Dave’s BBQ Menu (rise.us)
Allergy Information
Allergen Information: Famous Dave’s Allergen Guide
Gluten Free Options:
Famous Dave’s Gluten Free Menu (urbantastebud.com)
Dairy Free Options: No resources found, but the following may be helpful to you.
Restaurant Guide For Dairy-Free Dining (godairyfree.org)
Peanut Free Options:
Famous Dave’s Peanut & Allergy Information (famousdaves.com)
Food Allergy Guides For Many Chain Restaurants (verywellhealth.com)
Ways to Eliminate Risks of Peanut Allergy When Dining Out (healthguidance.org)
Famous Dave’s (pc-famousdaveshayward.com)
Does Famous Dave’s Have Any Secret Recipes?
Secret Recipes:
Corn Muffins (topsecretrecipes.com)
Barbecue Spareribs (foodnetwork.com)
BBQ Sauce (geniuskitchen.com)
BBQ Recipes (allrestaurantrecipes.com)
Cornbread Muffins (eatcakefordinner.blogspot.com)
Did You Know?
Fun Facts:
Don’t let the apron fool you. Dave’s not only a bbq pitmaster but also holds a Master’s Degree from Harvard (Wikipedia)
He was one of the original investors in Rainforest Cafe (Wikipedia)
The Uptown Minneapolis restaurant is called Famous Dave’s BBQ & Blues
Dave’s dad was a Choctaw Indian
After the original location of burned down on November 3, 2014, the site was cleared and a new restaurant called Props Landing was put in its place. The new restaurant also has new owners.
Dave grew up in Chicago
Anderson left the company in March 2014 after disagreements with management only to return to the company he founded in 2016 as a consultant after declining sales forced the decision to ask Dave to return.
After leaving the company, Anderson created Old Southern BBQ (also known as Jimmie’s Old Southern BBQ) that has multiple locations in Wisconsin and Minnesota
Anderson owns the Grand Pines Resort and Hotel in Hayward, Wisconsin which was home to the original restaurant restaurant now Props Landing.
Dave lives in Edina, Wisconsin with his wife Kathy. The couple has two (grown), children
Interesting Articles:
Dave Anderson aims to make Famous Dave’s famous again (twincities.com)
Dave Anderson, to be Honored by American Royal as 2017 Inductee for the Barbecue Hall of Fame (globenewswire.com)
Dave Anderson is opening a new barbecue restaurant (startribune.com)
Famous Dave’s shuttered 13 units since July (nrn.com)
Dave Anderson outlines ‘fight for survival’ (nrn.com)
10 Things You Didn’t Know About Famous Dave’s (2geekswhoeat.com)
Famous Dave's & Related Items on Amazon
Social Media
Followers (as of September 2018) –
Facebook: 385,081
Twitter: 29,700
Instagram: 9,087
Mobile Apps
Alternatives
Better Options: Coming Soon
Similar Restaurants:
Lucille’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Que
In Summary
In researching the barbecue chain, there is, of course, the information about the restaurant chain itself but beyond that, the underlying story is more about the man to which the restaurant is named. “Famous Dave” as he is known, is an icon in the BBQ industry. He has received countless awards and was awarded the title “America’s Rib King.” He followed his love and passion for BBQ instilled in him by his dad, a Choctaw Indian and opened his first restaurant in 1994. He was not only successful at making great BBQ but with the restaurant business as well, as he grew his one restaurant to a chain. He has continued to be successful despite setbacks in his life. His first restaurant location burned in November 2014, and despite vowing to rebuild, he ended up not pursuing that and in the end allowed Props Landing to take its place. He would also go on to leave the company he started which was one of the hardest decisions of his life. After declining sales when Dave left the restaurant, the ownership reached out to him to come back to help which had to make him feel validated. He would then go on to open a new restaurant chain, Old Southern BBQ in honor of his dad. He calls Edina, Wisconsin home and continues doing what he’s always done, making people happy with his award-winning barbecue.
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