Executive Spotlight: Who Is Roland Dickey Jr., Dickey's Capital Group Chief Executive Officer? (2027)
Roland Dickey Jr. is chief executive officer of Dickey's Capital Group (DCG), the Dallas, Texas holding company for the Dickey's Barbecue Pit businesses. A January 2017 announcement named him CEO of the newly formed group, and in a June 2025 Dallas Morning News commentary he wrote that he leads it. Earlier he was CEO of Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, Inc., where the 2017 release says he grew the chain from 20 locations to almost 600.
This page covers public professional information only, drawn from the company's team page, press releases and trade press.
Current role and company
Dickey's Capital Group was announced on January 3, 2017 as the parent company of all business entities under the Dickey's name, formed to prepare the company for domestic and international growth. The company's team page describes DCG as the holding company of Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, Inc., and says Dickey Jr. runs a portfolio that includes consumer retail products, food manufacturing, real estate and company-owned barbecue restaurants.
- CompanyDickey's Capital Group, Dallas, Texas; parent of the Dickey's Barbecue Pit businesses (2017 announcement).
- TitleChief Executive Officer, Dickey's Capital Group (company team page; Dallas Morning News, June 2025).
- FoundedThe first Dickey's Barbecue Pit opened in Dallas in 1941, according to his June 2025 commentary.
- EducationBusiness Administration degree from Southern Methodist University (company team page).
Career path
- Joining the company. The team page says he came back to the company in 1999 after gaining restaurant industry experience elsewhere.
- CEO of the restaurant company. The same page says he led Dickey's Barbecue Pit as CEO for about ten years before moving to his current role.
- Dickey's Capital Group. A January 2017 release appointed him CEO of the new parent company, where he oversees executive management of assets. The team page dates his move to the current role to 2016, so sources differ on the year.
- Growth during his tenure. The 2017 release said the restaurant company grew from 20 locations to almost 600 under him. The team page gives a later figure of more than 375 barbecue restaurants within a portfolio of more than 800 restaurants across eight concepts. Both are company-reported and from different dates.
What he is known for
- Franchise-led expansion. The team page credits his tenure with the shift from a local barbecue restaurant to a national franchise brand, including e-commerce, grocery retail products and restaurant technology.
- Virtual brands. Dickey's launched Wing Boss, a delivery-only smoked wing concept, in April 2021. By July 2021 Nation's Restaurant News (NRN) reported 78 Wing Boss and 45 Big Deal Burger delivery-only units offered to franchisees, with a third concept, Trailer Birds, expected that fall. He told NRN the first physical Wing Boss, a 1,500-square-foot company-owned unit planned for Addison, Texas, was a test: "We want to make sure that we work all the kinks out of it."
- Refocusing on barbecue. In October 2024 NRN reported Dickey's would stop expanding five non-barbecue concepts and return focus to its core menu. He is quoted there on going back to the company's legacy.
- Supply chain. The team page says DCG won the Most Innovative Supply Chain Improvements Award at Franchise Update Media's 2023 Innovation Awards for opening WD Provisions, a USDA-inspected production and distribution plant in Mesquite, Texas.
- Recognition. The team page lists Nation's Restaurant News' 50 most powerful people in foodservice (2017) and D Magazine's Top 500 CEO list (2017 and 2018).
Leadership style and philosophy
In the January 2017 announcement he said: "The Dickey's brand has seen tremendous growth throughout the past several years," and described plans to keep expanding locations and offerings. In a June 2025 commentary in the Dallas Morning News he wrote that Dickey's growth was driven by innovation, including virtual brands, international expansion, technology and food production infrastructure, intended to equip franchisees to succeed.
In that same piece he addressed media coverage of complaints from some former franchisees, saying the company had supplied data and franchisee contacts to reporters and that franchising success depends on market conditions and adherence to the business model. Those are his statements as the company's executive, not findings, and this page does not assess the underlying disputes.
Key numbers
Figures are company-reported unless labelled Technomic or NRN, with the date shown. Counts change, so check the company for current numbers.
- January 2017Almost 600 locations in 44 states reported in the DCG announcement; about 12 new stores opening per month (company release).
- July 202178 Wing Boss and 45 Big Deal Burger delivery-only units; more than 500 Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants locations (NRN).
- 2019 and 2023506 U.S. locations and $350.5 million in sales in 2019, 469 locations and about $322 million in 2023 (Technomic, via NRN, Oct 2024).
- Fiscal 202497 closures and 12 openings, a net loss of 85 domestic units (NRN, Oct 2024).
- June 2025Operating in more than 41 states and multiple countries, per his Dallas Morning News commentary.
Questions people ask
Who is Roland Dickey Jr.?
He is chief executive officer of Dickey's Capital Group, the Dallas holding company for the Dickey's Barbecue Pit businesses, and a former CEO of Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, Inc.
What is Dickey's Capital Group?
A parent company announced January 3, 2017 to hold all business entities under the Dickey's name and support domestic and international expansion.
What were Dickey's virtual brands?
Delivery-only concepts such as Wing Boss (launched April 2021) and Big Deal Burger. In October 2024 NRN reported Dickey's would stop expanding five non-barbecue concepts.
When was Dickey's founded?
The first Dickey's Barbecue Pit opened in Dallas in 1941, according to his June 2025 commentary.
How many locations does Dickey's have?
It depends on the date. Technomic figures cited by NRN show 469 locations in 2023, down from 506 in 2019. The company's own counts use a different basis, so check the company for current numbers.
Sources
- Dickey's Restaurant Brands: Meet Our Team · Title, career dates, awards, portrait
- Franchising.com: Dickey's Barbecue Pit Announces Capital Group and Leadership Reorganization (Jan 3, 2017) · Formation of DCG, appointment, quote, 2017 counts
- Food Business News: Dickey's forms new parent company, reorganizes leadership (Jan 3, 2017) · Caption naming him CEO of Dickey's Capital Group
- Franchising.com: Dickey's launches first virtual brand, Wing Boss (Apr 2, 2021) · Wing Boss launch
- Nation's Restaurant News: Dickey's to morph virtual Wing Boss into brick-and-mortar space (Jul 28, 2021) · Unit counts, quote
- Nation's Restaurant News: Dickey's pauses the expansion of its virtual brands (Oct 2, 2024) · Refocus, Technomic counts, closures
- Dallas Morning News: Dickey's CEO: We strive for truth against unbalanced views (Jun 26, 2025) · 1941 founding, current role, his statements
Facts were read from the linked pages on November 1, 2026. Titles and counts are as of the dates shown and may have changed. The hero photo is the official portrait of Dickey Jr. alone from the Dickey's Restaurant Brands team page, which lists him by name; it is centered on a page-format card because the original is square. This page covers public professional information only.
Top photo: Dickey's Capital Group (dickeysrestaurantbrands.com team page)