Dickey’s Barbecue Pit is looking to expand in the Capital Region 

Franchise owner Scott Carlton plans to open more Dickey’s Barbecue Pit locations in the Baton Rouge area. 

After opening the first Dickey’s Barbecue Pit in Baton Rouge in May 2024, Carlton plans to open two additional locations in the Capital Region by 2026—one in Denham Springs and one in Prairieville. Carlton says he is actively seeking a location fit in Ascension Parish and wants to open one of the new locations this year. 

In November 2024, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit CEO Roland Dickey Jr. invited Carlton to take over three underperforming stores in Mississippi: Bay St. Louis, Gulfport and D’iberville. 

Carlton closed on the three Mississippi locations in December. He plans to get the underperforming stores back on track with the franchise’s programming. He says the restaurants were inconsistent and weren’t abiding by the company’s recipes. He plans to do grassroots marketing to increase sales by distributing coupons and the franchise’s signature Big Yellow Cups. 

Carlton hopes to eventually open a total of five to 10 locations in Baton Rouge and the surrounding area. In the next couple of months, he will be taking over more underperforming stores in Louisiana. 

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit is a fast-casual barbecue franchise founded in Dallas. It has over 500 locations across 44 states.