Corky’s BBQ has plans to open 15 more restaurants
Opened its first eatery in 1984 in East Memphis
Memphis-based Corky’s BBQ plans to expand across the Southeast with 15 more restaurants, aided by the investment from another family-owned Memphis business.
“Stage 1 is to own the Southeast, and Stage 2 is to conquer the nation,” Corky’s co-owner Barry Pelts said Friday.
Dobbs Equity Partners LLC is investing an undisclosed amount of money into the expansion over the next three years.
John H. Dobbs Jr., the firm’s executive officer, described the confidence he has in investing in Corky’s expansion: “First, we have a long history in the restaurant business with Dobbs Houses. We have some institutional reputation and brand awareness there.
“Secondly, they are the market leader,” Dobbs said of Corky’s. “Corky’s is a market leader in the U.S. for barbecue. And we want to be married to the best.”
The new partners did not disclose where in the Southeast the expansion will first occur.
“We’ve got four or five sites we’re eyeing in on now,” Pelts said.
The Dobbs investment also includes expansion of the Corky’s food manufacturing and distribution operations.
Corky’s history in Memphis
Corky’s opened its first restaurant in 1984 on Poplar in East Memphis and has expanded to four full-service restaurants in the Memphis area, two venues inside Memphis Kroger groceries, and four franchise locations outside Memphis.
Also, Corky’s recently entered a deal to open 15-to-20 franchised stores over the next several years in Houston and Dallas.
“However, we also know there are more opportunities to serve our great customers across the nation,” Corky’s co-owner Andy Woodman said in a prepared statement. “While we are a family business, we have come to know and respect the Dobbs family and are confident that the individual strengths of our two long-time Memphis families combined will take Corky’s to the next level.”
Corky’s also comprises Corky’s Food Manufacturing, Prime Time Strategic Partners and Simply Delicious Catering. Corky’s Food Manufacturing makes and distributes Corky’s retail food products and El Terrifico Cheese Dip to Walmart, Sam’s Club, Costco, Publix, Kroger and other outlets.
Those products are made and shipped from a 115,000-square-foot manufacturing and distribution facility in Southeast Memphis.
Prime Time Strategic Partners has a presence on the QVC shopping network, and offers fulfillment and shipping of refrigerated and frozen foods for dozens of brands nationwide. Simply Delicious Catering offers full-service catering.
The Dobbs family has invested in various businesses for 98 years. John Dobbs’ grandfather, James K. Dobbs, had automobile dealerships (primarily Ford) and restaurant and airline catering businesses known as Dobbs Houses Inc.
John Dobbs Jr.’s father, John Hull Dobbs Sr., acquired Anheuser-Busch distributorships and grew the family´s investments in automobile dealerships (primarily Honda and Toyota).
When John Dobbs Jr. joined the family business, it started Three Rivers Holdings Inc., which operated Unison Health Plans, Strategic Behavioral Health, a large mental health provider, and DYK Holdings, a nationwide distributor of aftermarket automotive parts.
“As a Memphian, I have known Corky’s for decades and believe it is the number one Memphis-style BBQ in the country,” John Dobbs Jr. said.
“Corky’s offers a true Memphis experience and we plan to grow these products and holdings coast to coast to deliver the best taste of Memphis across America.”