Franchising

Dickey's plans to hit Toronto

Provided

March 31, 2022

Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants has signed a franchise agreement to bring the brand's fare to Toronto, according to a company press release.

The announcement comes on the heels of Dickey's recent agreement to open its first Canada location in Alberta. Toronto's first Dickey's is slated to open this summer.

Anand Desai, one of two operators of the Toronto Dickey's, is a 15-year veteran in the governance, risk and control space, was driven towards the restaurant business by his passion to serve the members of his local community, according to the release. Anand is joined by partner Sharmistha Ghosh, who has restaurant management experience.

"We're excited to partner with Anand and Sharmistha to help grow our presence in Canada," Laura Rea Dickey, Dickey's CEO, said in the release. "Toronto has an amazing dining scene, but it lacks a true, authentic barbecue experience, which we can't wait to provide. It's always exciting to debut our Legit. Texas. Barbecue. in a new community, but it's particularly exciting when our brand crosses borders. We look forward to introducing our tastes of Texas to Toronto and more Canadians across the country."

Dickey's Barbecue, founded in 1941, has 550 locations across the U.S. and eight other countries. Dickey's has also been included on Fast Casual's "Top 100 Movers and Shakers" list.