DICKEY’S EYES OCTOBER START-UP AFTER MONDAY’S GROUNDBREAKING

Groundbreaking was held Monday at the new Pecos location for Dickey’s Barbeque, a year after it was first announced, and the store’s co-owner said the Interstate 20 site will be one of the largest in the nation for the chain.

Town of Pecos City officials, along with those from the Pecos Chamber of Commerce and the Pecos Economic Development Corp. were on hand for the 9:30 a.m. event, at the intersection of I-20 and Country Club Drive. The project was one of five new businesses announced last June along the Interstate 20 corridor, and while it was the last to break ground, co-owner General Echols said he plans to have Dickey’s open for business by this fall.

“We’re shooting for October,” Echols told the group at the ceremony. He also said at 3,800 square feet, it would be the largest store for Dickey’s in the region and would employ between 20 and 25 people.

“The dining are will seat I believe over 140 with the private room,” he said. “I don’t know where that puts us, but we’re hoping that’s the largest dining area in Pecos.”

 “We’ve obviously had a few delays,” Echols said. “This is our first time to be a franchise owner, but just between the franchise process and getting things nailed down with the land and all the financing packets together, we’re a little behind where we wanted to be.”

He added Dickey’s officials were a little wary of putting such a large store in a small town like Pecos. “I think as a first-time franchisee, we had to convince them of what would happen in Pecos and that we needed 3,800 square feet,” Echols said. “They’re allowing us to do this experiment and we’re certain of its success, and I can’t wait to show them what it’s going to do.

“A typical first-time franchisee is in an existing retail space. They try to keep it under 1,800 square feet – small, controlled, safe as far as an investment. But that’s not sufficient for Pecos and the demand out here. So we’re going bigger,” he said

Echols already has built the King’s Road RV Park on East 13th Street and opened CTG Oil Change at Ninth and Cedar streets in Pecos. He said he and his wife Lee are investment partners in the new Dickey’s, but “the actual owner-operators who arte moving here this Saturday are Kris and Amy Compton.”

“He’s got almost 20 years of experience as far as running kitchens and restaurants, steak houses and roadhouse type places,” he said. “We’re excited to have him.”

Echols said they also planned to do landscaping at the site, where vehicle entry and the parking area will be on the Country Club Drive side of the store.

“We want this to be one of the nicest properties in Pecos,” he said. “This will be something that everyone who passes by can enjoy.”