Famous Dave’s Restaurant was founded in 1994 by Dave Anderson in Hayward, Minnesota. A huge fan of barbequed foods, Dave Anderson spent 20 years creating what he considers to be the best barbeque sauce recipe available. He purchased a resort in Hayward, Minnesota and opened the first Famous Dave’s Restaurant in 1994 as just a hobby. As people began to experience the uniqueness of Dave’s home cooked barbeque creations, including his Rich & Sassy, Texas Pit, Georgia Mustard, Hot Stuff and Devil’s Spit sauce recipes, they quickly spread the word about the restaurant. It did not take long, but within the first year Famous Dave’s Restaurant was serving over 1000 guests a day.
His hobby was soon a full time career as Dave Anderson invested over two million dollars into building the restaurant. By 1995 it was clear to Anderson that the demand for his food far exceeded what he could accomplish with just one restaurant so plans began for his second restaurant. The second restaurant, also located in Minnesota could accommodate 75 guests when the screen porch was used. The design featured the Famous Dave’s Roadhouse Barbeque Shack theme.
In 1996 Dave Anderson began to expand his entrepreneurial thinking and started thinking of ideas on how to grow the company. With annual revenues being reported from his two existing restaurants that exceeded over a million dollars, he wanted to make the company known publicly.
Being a Chicago native, Dave Anderson knew that the idea of barbeque food and blues music was a perfect match, he began designs for his third Minnesota restaurant. This restaurant was over 9000 square feet and was opened in Minneapolis. It was also during this time that it was announced that Famous Dave’s Restaurants would be publicly traded on the NASDAQ market under the ticker Dave. The first day saw shares rising from $6.25 to $11.25 for 2.3 million shares. However by the end of 1996 even though the stock market had a strong showing for the company, the restaurants themselves were not showing a profit.
By 1997 it was clear to Dave Anderson that changes needed to take place if he was going to continue making his dream of proving he had the best barbeque sauces available a reality. Remaining as the company chairman of the board, Dave Anderson put together a leadership team for the Famous Dave’s Barbeque Restaurants. It did not take long for this leadership team to announce that they had 10 new restaurants in the work for 1997 and another 24 set to open in 1998. They wanted to be known as the first national barbeque style restaurant chain available.
As 1998 approached, it was clear that Famous Dave’s restaurants were facing two major problems – lacking sales numbers and a fall in stock prices. These problems plagued the company throughout 1998 and 1999. Changes had to take place if the company was going to survive.
So as the new millennium approached, the company began its restructuring plans. One of the biggest changes was to convert existing restaurants establishments that were available into Famous Dave’s Restaurants versus building completely new buildings. The company also used promotional efforts such as selling the Famous Dave’s cookbook and making Dave Anderson’s sauces available on store shelves. This was definitely helping because in 2001 the company showed a profit of over 2.1 million dollars for the first time instead of a loss.
Today there are over forty five Famous Dave locations in seven states across the country. The three themes of the restaurants include the roadside barbeque shack, the hunting lodge and the blues club. Dave Anderson’s special sauce recipes are still available on retailers shelves and continue to be a hit with consumers.
If you would like to experience the unique experience that the Famous Dave’s Restaurants have to offer, visit www.famousdaves.com. This site has many great things to offer. Sign up for the P.I.G. Email Club for special promotions, coupons and even birthday surprises that can be delivered right to your own email inbox. You can also find some of Dave Anderson’s signature recipes and barbequing tips. For more online printable coupons you can visit www.8coupons.com/coupons/Famous_Dave’s to find savings such as $5.00 off of 2 adult dinners, free appetizers and others as they change frequently.
