One by one, the reaper comes knocking. The rate of U.S. businesses closing up shop only seems to be growing daily. Dickey's Barbeque Pit is the next to go, as it closes the doors on several of its popular BBQ restaurants.
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Looking around, you would think people weren't eating out anymore. So many popular food places are having to shut up shop across the U.S. Dickey's Barbeque Pit, under significant financial strain, is having to cut back, closing several of its BBQ locations.
Since the beginning of the fiscal year, the company has reported 100 closures in 2024. And now, it plans on closing a further 30 of its BBQ locations. This will mark a sharp decline in 19% of their previous shopfronts, which numbered as high as 570 in 2017 after the growth spurt following the last economic crash.
Why is The Beloved BBQ Chain Closing Up Locations?
As it stands, people just aren't eating out like they used to. On the whole, the US is feeling the squeeze, and spending large amounts of money on a meal isn't within budget anymore. This has meant that many restaurants are not able to maintain their income. It isn't just big BBQ locations that are closing either.
Somewhere like Dickey's Barbeque Pit can weather the storm. They have hundreds of outlets and can afford to lose one or two. According to their report, they are still opening more locations so it's not a complete wash. It is just a case of streamlining and redistributing locations. You can expect to see less of them, but the ones that stay open will be the successful ones.
However, where the economic downturn really hits home is with small businesses. Your favorite mom and pop's BBQ will only have one location. They feel the pinch just as much as the big popular BBQ chains, and they have nothing to fall back on after closing. If you really want to support the U.S. economy, take your family out to the independent eateries next time you fancy a meal. That way, you can help a small business stay afloat, and avoid watching your favorite local BBQ place close its doors forever.
