Mission Barbeque, a restaurant with a patriotic theme, will open a location in Dover.
The company confirmed in a Facebook post in July that the restaurant will open at 365 N DuPont Highway in the near future. Mission will open at the long-vacant location of a Lone Star Steakhouse.
Philadelphia Business Journal reported the Maryland-based chain is adding restaurants in suburban Philadelphia and the Lehigh Valley as part of its expansion. It is also looking at northern Delaware.
Mission offers a number of events and promotions that honor service people and first responders. On Sept. 11, restaurants will offer a free sandwich to first responders.
In al, Mission has about three dozen restaurants in an area running from New Jersey to Florida and in Ohio.
In its posts seeking staff in Dover, the company invited prospective employees to “join us in all that we do in the community to honor and appreciate all of our Uniformed Heroes!” Dover is the home of a large air force base.
Mission hopes to tap into the interest in barbecue that has led to national competitions that are featured on cable TV channels. One such event has been held in Delaware in the past couple of years.
Barbecue chains have not flocked to Delaware, the one exception being Famous Dave’s, which has two locations in the northern part of the state.
Dover does have a long-time barbecue spot, Where Pigs Fly. Where Pigs Fly is ranked 11th among the city’s restaurants by TripAdvisor.