Famous Dave's

Famous Dave's, Inc.

Type	Public (NASDAQ: DAVE)
Industry	Restaurants
Founded	Hayward, Wisconsin (1994)
Headquarters	Minnetonka, Minnesota, United States
Key people	Christopher O'Donnell, CEO; Diana Purcell, CFO[1]
Products	Barbecue ribs, beef brisket, chicken, burgers, soups, salads, desserts
Website	www.famousdaves.com

Famous Dave's Legendary Pit Bar-B-Que, formerly Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que Shack, is a chain of southern-style barbecue restaurants serving pork ribs, chicken, and beef brisket. Dave Anderson, an Ojibwe who served as the head of the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs from 2004 to 2005, started the first Famous Dave's restaurant just outside of Hayward, Wisconsin, in 1994. The restaurant chain quickly grew throughout the Midwestern United States. It has since grown to have locations in 37 U.S. states. The flagship restaurant of the chain is Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que and Blues in Calhoun Square, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Awards

Famous Dave's has won numerous awards in their restaurants through the years beginning in 1995, winning the “Best BBQ Sauce in America” given by the American Royal Barbecue Contest and the “Best BBQ Joint” given by St. Paul magazine. The chain continued to win over 200 awards across the nation, from “Best BBQ ribs” over 50 times to awards like "Best Salad" (Crispy Chicken Jumpoff), “Best Music” or “Best Desserts.” Most recently, Famous Dave’s has won the famous Silver Plate award that is given to “foodservice operators who epitomize the best of class.”

Interior of a Famous Dave's in Mountainside, NJ

Exterior of a Famous Dave's in Frederick, Maryland

Dave Anderson

Dave Anderson has also worked as a philanthropist, helping many struggling businesses back on to their feet before starting Famous Dave’s in 1994. In 1982, Dave put together a team responsible for turning around the Lac Courte Oreilles Chippewa Reservation's economy as part of an effort to improve Indian reservations' struggling economies. For the next couple of years, Dave took part in councils and teams looking to improve Wisconsin’s tourism and small businesses. In 1986, Dave earned a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Harvard University, without earning an undergraduate degree. In 1994, Dave helped found Rainforest Café, a theme restaurant chain, and finally in October 1994, Dave Anderson pursued his lifelong passion and opened the first Famous Dave’s in Hayward, Wisconsin.^[2]

External links

Famous Dave's catering truck, Westland, Michigan

• Official site
• Famous Dave's LifeSkills For Success Book

References

1. ^ http://www.famousdaves.com/about-daves/NASDAQ-opening-bell-ceremony/
2. ^ Source: http://www.lifeskillsforsuccess.com/biography.html, accessed August 1, 2009

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