After serving the High Desert exclusively through takeout, Famous Dave’s is preparing to open its first full-service location in the region, bringing dine-in barbecue to local customers and creating dozens of jobs for High Desert residents.
The restaurant has been operating as a “virtual kitchen” for the past five years, serving to-go orders while the building underwent renovations. But High Desert barbecue fans will soon be able to pull up a chair at Famous Dave’s, which will act as a standalone restaurant and not as a dual-concept idea inside Johnny Carino’s at 11920 Amargosa Road.
Both Famous Dave’s and Johnny Carino’s are owned by the same parent company and teamed up during the pandemic with to-go orders. CEO of that hospitality group, Alan Gantes, spoke with the Daily Press about the exciting expansion opening soon in the High Desert.
“We had really strong demand, a passion even, for our Famous Dave’s food as a result of the virtual kitchen,” he said. From the positive feedback, brand executives gathered that the cookout chain needed its own brick-and-mortar storefront.
Famous Dave’s on Amargosa Road in Victorville will have its own entrance, its own dining room and its own distinct experience separate from its neighbor, Johnny Carino’s. The grand opening is set for May, but the specific date depends on the restaurant’s final inspection. In the meantime, Victor Valley residents interested in employment can text BBQ to 85000 or visit trjobs.us/EwChD.
Now hiring
According to Gantes, the High Desert location is looking to hire 30 to 40 new Famous Dave’s employees. Available positions include line cook, host, prep cook, bartender, dishwasher and server.
The restaurant is doing “soft interviewing” for the next two weeks to have a team lined up for next month’s tentative opening. While some positions have been filled, Gantes says they are still looking for more employees.
What is the Johnny Carino’s connection with Famous Dave’s?
Gantes has been CEO of Bluestone Hospitality Group for 10 years. During his career, Bluestone Hospitality Group, which already owned Famous Dave’s, acquired Johnny Carino’s in 2017 after the restaurant filed for bankruptcy.
“We bought the brand to give it a new life,” Gantes said. “We believed that the Italian recipes and the brand as a whole were exceptional, and that they just needed to be shown a little more love.”
The Johnny Carino’s brand filed for bankruptcy twice, in 2014 and 2016. The aftermath shrank the chain’s footprint from 170 stores to 37.
Gantes says customers are grateful for the collaboration with Famous Dave’s, which pairs the two restaurant chains as neighbors at most of the West Coast locations. In Victorville, Johnny Carino’s got a completely fresh upgrade while its neighbor, Famous Dave’s, underwent construction.
The partnership changes nothing on the Johnny Carino’s menu.
Victorville tightens its bib for Famous Dave’s barbecue
Everything at Famous Dave’s is made from scratch. According to the restaurant’s website, the chain sources the highest quality meats, trimmed to competition standards. Famous Dave’s pitmasters get their hickory logs smoldering around 4 a.m., hand-rub them with fresh spices and slow-cook them to perfection.
The chain restaurant has over 700 awards in cuisine excellence, with ribs indicated as a best seller. The Victorville location is preparing to open with a full liquor bar and bar top.
McKenna is a reporter for the Daily Press. She can be reached at mmobley@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Famous Dave’s Victorville ramps up hiring for BBQ restaurant debut
Reporting by McKenna Mobley, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
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