Fast-growing plans for slow-smoked barbecue will fuel Arizona’s dining choices as Dallas-based Dickey's Barbecue Pit expands to the Grand Canyon State with plans for four Phoenix-area locations, the company announced Tuesday.

Phoenix resident Thomas Emmons, a current team member, will own and operate branches slated for the communities of Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa and Queen Creek, scheduled to open over the next two years.

Because the Texas-style barbecue restaurant has done well in Arizona, the decision was made to open additional locations. 

"We are beyond thrilled to secure four new restaurants under the Dickey's brand in our home state of Arizona," Emmons said. "The Dickey's Barbecue Pit family has been nothing less than welcoming and supportive, and we look forward to utilizing this support as we continue to develop a successful business operation."

The family-run franchise, founded in 1941, offers a selection of meats, home-style sides, tangy barbecue sauce and free children's meals every Sunday. Having expanded to over 500 locations in 43 states, Dickey's Barbecue was recently recognized for the third time by Nation's Restaurant News as a "Top 10 Growth Chain" and by Technomic as the "Fastest-growing restaurant chain in the country."

"Dickey's Barbecue Pit has eight stores in Arizona, and we are looking forward to bringing four new locations to this particular region of the U.S.," Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants CEO Roland Dickey, Jr. said. "We now have more than 500 locations across the U.S. and we are always looking for new opportunities for growth. Our guests in these markets have been asking for some time when we were going to open more stores here, and we are thrilled to continue to expand across Arizona."