Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, a Dallas-based restaurant chain with more than 530 locations in 43 states, will open at least five stores on Oahu within roughly five years and might expand to neighbor islands, said CEO Roland Dickey Jr.

“We’ve wanted to come to Hawaii for a long time,” Dickey said, adding that the family business founded in 1941 believes it has found “the right partnership” with franchisee Jack Chubb to lead the expansion.

Chubb operates two Dickey’s locations in Florida but also does business in Hawaii and is a part-time resident. He purchased Aloha Furniture Gallery in Lihue about nine years ago, after earlier purchasing a home in Princeville, also on Kauai.

Chubb bought the home during his 34-year career as a hospital executive while he was based in California, but has “lived all over the country,” he said.

“We’ve been looking for an opportunity to do more business in Hawaii,” Chubb said. In addition to building Hawaii’s first five restaurants, he has a commitment to build five more in Florida.

No leases have yet been executed, but Chubb will be in town next month or in May to review possibilities. He hopes to have his first Hawaii Dickey’s open before the end of the year. He declined to discuss specific locations being scouted.

When Dickey’s enters a market, it typically builds “about one store a year, and we predict that will happen even sooner” in Hawaii, Dickey said.

Each restaurant location has a pit master who slow-smokes and slices a variety of meats on-site, in full view of customers, who also see the butcher case where the raw meats are kept prior to smoking.

Meat choices include beef brisket, chicken, turkey, Polish-style kielbasa, jalapeno cheddar kielbasa, pulled pork, pork ribs and barbecue honey ham. Any of the meats can be served as a sandwich, while sides include cabbage slaw, barbecue beans, bacon-and-onion green beans, Asiago cheese creamed spinach, potato salad, baked potato casserole, house-made potato chips, and macaroni and cheese, which Dickey described as the biggest-selling side order.

“We’re not a $20 per person (restaurant), we’re not full-service,” Dickey said, but added that “our food quality is on par with anybody. We serve higher-quality meat than almost any other fast-casual restaurant.”

The company doesn’t release average check figures, as franchisees in various markets have leeway in pricing. The social media pages of various mainland locations describe $9.99 specials that picture a meat choice or combination, two sides and a drink. Additionally, children under 12 eat free on Sundays with each paid adult meal.

Dickey’s was named the fastest-growing restaurant chain in the U.S. by Technomic, a research and consulting firm for the food and food service industry, and was named a Top 10 growth chain by Nation’s Restaurant News, an industry publication.

The company streamlined its original concept, shrank its footprint and has been on an expansion track for the past five years. In that time it has built out about 100 stores each year, Dickey said.

It is no secret that Hawaii outposts of national chains become among the top-producing units in the company, if not the best revenue generators.

“We’ve heard that over and over again,” Dickey said. “You combine (Hawaii’s) international business, tourism, military personnel and the robust economy … and Hawaii is strong,” he said.

The typical restaurant, built in-line such as in a strip mall or shopping center, is 1,500 to 1,800 square feet with about 500 square feet used for the kitchen and smoker, with indoor seating for about 50 customers.

It is not likely Dickey’s will offer locally inspired, soy sauce-based barbecue dishes. In barbecue capitals such as Kansas City and Memphis, which have their own distinct barbecue flavor, “we just decided to keep doing what we’re doing,” Dickey said. “When I walk into a restaurant, I want something that’s authentic,” he said. “We really aspire to be authentic, good Texas barbecue, keep it real simple, and stay true to our roots.”