Barbecue chain Famous Dave’s will close down a north Wilmington restaurant on Sept. 3, according to a Facebook post.
The restaurant had operated in the Rocky Run Parkway complex of chain restaurants for about a decade, according to a post.
A Famous Dave’s in the Christiana area south of Newark remains in operation.
Barbecue is more popular than ever, but Famous Dave’s has been facing stiff competition here and elsewhere, often from independent establishments with lower overhead costs
The Minnesota-based chain got its start in the north woods of Wisconsin and expanded nationwide, aided by wins in barbecue competitions by its founder Dave Anderson, a Native American.
However, the publicly traded company has struggled with a nationwide footprint and soft business in some markets.
Famous Dave’s has about 150 restaurants. Mid-sized dine-in chains of that size have struggled over the years.
The Rocky Run chain restaurant complex, an idea that came out of discussions with civic groups, has seen many operators come and go over the years. However, the restaurant buildings have rarely remained vacant for long.
The Concord Pike has seen the departure of two national chains, Romano’s Macaroni Grill and Chili’s.
