Dickey’s Barbecue Pit closes its doors as pandemic intensifies in the Bradenton area
The sign on the door says Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, 4406 53rd Ave. E., is closing until further notice because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The restaurant’s Facebook page says the restaurant is permanently closed. And the Bradenton restaurant is missing on Dickey’s corporate page, listing locations around the United States.
Based in Texas, the company has 130 restaurants in the Longhorn State, and also has restaurants in 41 other states and the United Arab Emirates. Travis Dickey opened the first Dickey’s in 1941 in Dallas, Texas.
When Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered restaurant dining rooms closed in March to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, Dickey’s and many other local restaurants remained open for takeout orders.
Opened in 2016, the local Dickey’s offered Texas slow-smoked barbecue beef brisket, pulled pork, St. Louis-style ribs, Polish sausage, spicy cheddar sausage, smoked turkey, and marinated chicken and an array of sides.
“The health and well being of our crew and their families is extremely important to us. We greatly appreciate all of our guests that support us. We look forward to serving the community again soon,” the undated notice on the restaurant’s door says.
The corporate Dickey’s office did not immediately respond to a query about whether Dickey’s had plans to reopen a restaurant elsewhere in the Bradenton area.
The pandemic has proven to be a tough environment for business in general. Restaurants that have stayed open with 50 percent capacity in their dining rooms are increasingly requiring customers to wear a face mask to enter. Among those are the Anna Maria Oyster Bar restaurants, The Sandbar Restaurant, Beach House Waterfront Restaurant, and Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant & Pub.
Some restaurateurs have elected to close their eateries, including:
▪ EnRich Bistro, 5629 Manatee Ave. W.
▪ Cleveland Kitchen, 2539 Lakewood Ranch Blvd.
▪ The Peach’s restaurants at 5702 Cortez Road and 6057 26th St. W.
▪ Sweet Tomatoes, 5407 University Parkway.
▪ Jason’s Deli, 5231 University Parkway..
Among restaurants that are temporarily closed:
▪ Lucky Pelican Bistro, 6239 Lake Osprey Drive.
▪ Beach Bistro, 6600 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach.
▪ Riverside Cafe, 955 Riverside Drive, Palmetto.
Know of a Bradenton-area restaurant that has opened recently, or closed, contact jajones1@bradenton.com.
This story was originally published July 20, 2020 at 2:20 PM.
