A little over two years after opening its doors, a barbecue restaurant in Herndon has shuttered permanently.
Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, located in Herndon Centre at 494 Elden Street, officially closed over the weekend, its franchisees announced.
“This decision was not made lightly,” the restaurant’s team wrote in a social media post. “Like many small businesses, we’ve faced rising costs of doing business and a significant decline in customer traffic that made it impossible to continue operations.”
The restaurant, which opened in May 2023, was one of two Dickey’s locations in Northern Virginia at the time of its closure. The last local location is inside Fair Oaks Mall.
Founded in the 1940s, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit became one of the first widespread servers of slow-smoked barbecue. Today, the brand’s portfolio features more than 800 locations worldwide.
The chain’s menu features classic barbecue favorites, including beef brisket, pulled pork, St. Louis-style ribs and much more.
When the Herndon location opened in April 2023, franchise owners Mosni and Dhaval Shah told FFXnow that they are excited to bring “legit Texas barbecue” to the area. Pit bosses Willow Brown and Kelvin Ebron had more than 30 years of experience in the barbecue and restaurant worlds between them.
“Over the years, we’ve had the privilege of serving this wonderful community from family dinners and celebrations to quick lunches and backyard catering,” owners of the Herndon location said. “Every plate of ribs, pulled pork sandwich, and smile we shared meant the world to us.”
“Though our doors are closing, the memories, laughter, and friendships we’ve built will last forever,” the owners added. “Thank you for allowing us to be a small part of your lives.”
With the restaurant’s closure, Herndon Centre now features only two eateries: IHOP and Chicken Salad Chick. Other nearby restaurants include Jimmy John’s, Panera Bread, and Popeye’s, though those are not technically part of Herndon Centre.
Photo via Dickey’s Barbecue Pit/Facebook
