This Popular BBQ Chain's Locations Are Getting New Life As Sports Bars

Barbecue lovers across the country may be in for some upsetting news as one of the more popular barbecue chains is set to convert a bunch of locations into sports bars and close others. The absolute best barbecue restaurants in the U.S. tend to be local spots or small regional chains that cater to specific styles, and larger barbecue chains have been struggling recently. The two largest, Famous Dave's and Dickey's Barbecue Pit, both saw sales fall last year, and overall the barbecue chain sector saw a 2% decline in sales, according to Technomic (via NRN), which is quite bad given the 3% growth of chain restaurant sales overall. And one of the hardest hit chains is Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill, which is now preparing to close more than half of its 60 locations.

The announcement comes from a recent press release issued by Twin Hospitality Group, which owns both Smokey Bones and the popular sports bar chain Twin Peaks. According to the company, 34 Smokey Bones locations have been identified as underperforming and losing money. Of those, 19 have been chosen to be converted from the barbecue restaurant to Twin Peaks locations, as it remains a rapidly growing brand. The other 15 locations will be closed over the next year, which will leave just 26 remaining Smokey Bones locations. The specific spots that will be closed or converted have not been identified by Twin Hospitality, but the company says the remaining locations are cash-flow positive, and the hope is that the better margins will allow Smokey Bones to start growing again.

Smokey Bones was originally founded in 1999 in Orlando, Florida, as a new barbecue concept from Darden Restaurants, the owner of Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse. It was acquired by Fat Brands, the owner of Fatburger, Johnny Rockets, and Ponderosa, in 2023, just two years after the company had acquired Twin Peaks. Fat Brands spun off Smokey Bones and Twin Peaks as a separate publicly owned company called Twin Hospitality Group earlier this year, although it has retained ownership of the majority of the shares.

Smokey Bones was a fast-growing barbecue chain not long ago, topping out at over 100 locations. Famous for its baby back ribs, it was even named as one of the best restaurants in America by celebrity chef Robert Irvine. However, barbecue is a tough sector, with high costs for both the skilled labor of pitmasters and the meat, and a variety of regional barbecue styles make it hard for chains to expand nationwide.

Twin Peaks, on the other hand, has been surging. The sports bar concept boasts a large selection of craft beer and advertises its scantily-clad female waitresses, filling a space left by the declining Hooters. The chain started the year with 115 locations and has plans to add over 100 more, in addition to converting the Smokey Bones locations. Apparently, some people are looking for a bit more than good food when they spend the money going out these days.