Virginia Barbecue spotlighted in franchise story

[Betsy and Beau] Dabney bought a Virginia Barbecue franchise and opened it in 2006 in the Lakeside area of Henrico County…

…Beau Dabney of Virginia Barbecue warned of unexpected expenses. Construction costs are “always double the cost and then some,” he said.

Also, skyrocketing fuel prices have hit the restaurant with higher and unexpected charges for food delivery and Dumpster and linen services.

Still, these entrepreneurs say they are pleased with the decision to buy a franchise.

“To me, it’s the perfect combination of having an independently owned and operated office – but with support,” said Hecht, who owns two Handyman Matters territories, one in the Richmond area and the other in Northern Virginia.

“I’ve been barbecuing for almost 10 years,” said Dabney, who purchased the first franchise from Rick Ivey, founder of the Fredericksburg-based Virginia Barbeque restaurant system.

“Barbecue is going to be the next cheeseburger,” he said.

A typical Virginia Barbecue will cost between $36,000 and $202,000 to open, depending on the size of the restaurant, the company said on its Web site. The monthly royalty fee is 6 percent of net sales.