Dr. Derek Scott With Famous Dave’s

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studio in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s time for Atlanta Business Radio, brought to you by Kennesaw State University’s Executive MBA program, the accelerated degree program for working professionals looking to advance their career and enhance their leadership skills. And now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here, another episode of Atlanta Business Radio. And this is going to be a good one. But before we get started, it’s important to recognize our sponsor, CSU’s executive MBA program. Without them, we couldn’t be sharing these important stories. Today on the Land of Business radio, we have Doctor Derek S Scott with Famous Dave’s. Welcome.

Dr Derek S Scott: Thank you. Thank you for inviting me to your show.

Lee Kantor: Well, I’m excited to learn what you’re up to. I see here that you’re bringing Georgia’s first Famous Dave’s location to the metro area. Tell us about it.

Dr Derek S Scott: That is correct. I’m originally from Chicago, Illinois, but I moved here from Tacoma, Washington, and when I was in Tacoma, Washington, that’s when we fell in love. That’s me. And my family fell in love with Famous Dave. And it was more than just barbecue. It was some of the other items that they have on their menu. And when we moved here to Georgia seven years ago, we didn’t find a restaurant similar to it. So I want to bring it to Georgia.

Lee Kantor: Now, we mentioned you’re a doctor. Is this normal for doctors to also have a side hustle of opening restaurants?

Dr Derek S Scott: Well, I wouldn’t say it’s abnormal, but most physicians just concentrate on their their medical practice. But it just so happened in my case, my restaurant experience helped finance my medical career. Because when I was in medical school, I had a restaurant that helped defer some of my student loan costs.

Lee Kantor: So you’ve been involved in the restaurant industry in the past? What got you into into opening franchise.

Dr Derek S Scott: My first restaurant adventure was a restaurant that I started called Taste of Chicago was in Nashville, Tennessee, and it specialized in Chicago style cuisine, Italian beef, Chicago style hot dog, Chicago style politics. But when I moved to Georgia, I was going to do a similar kind of concept, but they already have restaurants similar to that here. So I wanted to wear my second love, which was Famous Dave and Barbecue.

Lee Kantor: Now, were you looking for a restaurant or you were looking just for Famous Dave’s? Like, did you go through what a lot of folks go through when they’re thinking about a franchise? Okay, I’m going to research this. I’m going to choose a, you know, from a different menu of a lot of different options, and they land on what they land on. But for you, you were just going to do Famous Dave’s pretty much.

Dr Derek S Scott: I wanted to do just Famous Dave. I tried the local barbecue spots around here, and they really just didn’t satisfy our need of what we really was expecting from barbecue. The good thing I like about Famous Dave is kind of Chicago inspired barbecue because the owner is from Chicago. So that’s what I really like about the taste and the flavor of Famous Dave versus some of the local chains that are already here.

Lee Kantor: Now, where is it located?

Dr Derek S Scott: Ah, we haven’t opened yet, but I’m looking at locations up in Alpharetta, Roswell, Saint John area and pretty much off of 400.

Lee Kantor: Is it going to be a freestanding store?

Dr Derek S Scott: It depends on if I find the right space. That’s what I ideally that’s what I would like to have, but it depends what’s available.

Lee Kantor: So then can you talk a little bit about what it’s been like working with Famous Dave’s to open here in Georgia? What were they looking for? Someone to kind of come into Georgia? Or are you just kind of it was the right fit for you and them?

Dr Derek S Scott: A little bit of both. This will be the first famous Dave in Georgia. Um, the next closest one will be Knoxville, which is in Tennessee. Um, so they were wanting to expand into Georgia, and it just so happened I live here and I want to bring Famous Dave’s to Georgia. So we kind of, um, a match made in heaven kind of speak now.

Lee Kantor: Did you buy just the metro territory or did you buy all of Georgia, or are you looking to build an empire here?

Dr Derek S Scott: Ideally, I would love to build an empire, but right now it’s just concentrated around Atlanta area and hopefully we can expand from there.

Lee Kantor: Now, what are some of the things you look for in an ideal location? What type of community is best suited for Famous Dave’s?

Dr Derek S Scott: I like to be mixed use. I like to be some commercial business, but heavy and residential. Um, one of the things that we really liked about the product is the famous streets, which you can order ahead. Um, you pick it up, take it home for the family. It’s enough to feed a family of 4 to 5, and you still have enough for a snack or two tomorrow. For the next day.

Lee Kantor: And what.

Dr Derek S Scott: Is it? Location. Oh. Excuse me. Go ahead.

Lee Kantor: Well, what? How have they been when it comes to getting you ready to identify the right location? Are they. Have they been good? You know, in assisting you in narrowing it down?

Dr Derek S Scott: They have been excellent. So, um, I’m working with a local real estate agency, and we, um, we searched the area, researched different spaces that are available. Then we discuss it and see if it’s a good fit. Uh, a good fit being enough traffic going by it, visible from the street. And like I said, that mix of commercial and residential to make sure it can sustain the business. And they’ve been very helpful in helping me identify locations.

Lee Kantor: And, um, how does this kind of, um, synergize with your medical practice, or is this two separate ventures for you?

Dr Derek S Scott: It’s really two separate ventures. But I can I can see, uh, some catering with some of my colleagues, and I think they would appreciate, um, over some of the usual stuff that they get catered into their practice. I think it would be a good change for some, um, physician and medical practice in the area.

Lee Kantor: Is your medical practice your own practice or you’re part of a larger entity.

Dr Derek S Scott: It is my own practice.

Lee Kantor: So what? What are you a physician in?

Dr Derek S Scott: I’m a sports medicine and rehab physician.

Lee Kantor: And how did that come about? What’s your backstory in that?

Dr Derek S Scott: Well, I’ve always been an athlete. And so I always wanted to work with, um, athletic and, um, athletes. Athletic persons and athletes. So, um, that’s how I kind of fell in love with doing sports medicine. Rehab. The rehab function is those people that have suffered, let’s say, a life changing injury. I hope to increase their functioning, get them back to their their normal or their new normal.

Lee Kantor: Do you do like are you do you operate? Are you a surgeon or are you do rehab and physical therapy?

Dr Derek S Scott: Yeah. Non-operative. So I don’t do physical therapy. I’m non-operative sports medicine and rehab.

Lee Kantor: So any advice, any advice for the weekend warriors out there? And, uh, what are some, some of the are you seeing a lot of pickleball injuries.

Dr Derek S Scott: Well it is starting to pick up as far as pickleball injuries. But I see a lot of, um, weekend warriors, as you just mentioned. Um, a lot of people, um, who was athletic in their youth and maybe one weekend try to do too much and injure the self. And I really see them and get them back to normal or get them back happy and walking and running and enjoying life.

Lee Kantor: Now, um, what has it been like for you here in Atlanta? Is this a good, uh, market for you as an entrepreneur?

Dr Derek S Scott: I think it is. I think it is the good thing about Atlanta and Atlanta, surrounding areas. You have people that’s coming from every part of the world and of the country, and it’s so you get a good mixture of a little bit of everything. So it’s a good pool to pull from for cuisines and for restaurants. I think it is a a good fit.

Lee Kantor: Now, do you have any other ventures other than the restaurant and your medical practice?

Dr Derek S Scott: That’s it. My hands are full with those two.

Lee Kantor: Now, is your whole family going to be involved in the restaurant?

Dr Derek S Scott: Um. Mostly me. I have two young sons, one about to go to college, and one will be going to high school in a couple of years. So, um, they have other things they need to concentrate on. And my wife is also a physician, so she has other things she needs to concentrate on. So this is mostly me.

Lee Kantor: Now, how do you go about kind of building a team for a venture like this? Do you have somebody in mind before you started or you got to hire somebody?

Dr Derek S Scott: A little bit of both. I have some family members that worked with me before in my other restaurants as coming down to help me with this, and we’re going to also hire some local talent.

Lee Kantor: So what do you need more of? How can we help you?

Dr Derek S Scott: Just to get the word out that we’re coming and we’ll be hiring soon. As soon as we find a great location that we would like to hire some good local talent.

Lee Kantor: And then anything about Famous Dave’s we should know about. You mentioned that feast, But is there like a signature sauces or anything special you do like for holidays?

Dr Derek S Scott: So we do, we do, um, special kind of, um, menu items from holidays. Our sauces, our barbecue sauces I think are the best out there. Uh, several different varieties of of barbecue sauce. One being the Georgia mustard, I think will really be big down here. Um, Devil’s spit, which is a nice, spicy, bold sauce that I love. So we have definitely our sauces are great and the side dishes are also great.

Lee Kantor: And then once you identify the location, how long does it take to build it out and get you operating?

Dr Derek S Scott: Well, it really depends if it’s already a restaurant or if it’s a if it’s a second generation kind of, um, project I should be up in in six months if it’s, um, a show, probably eight months if it’s from ground up, that’s a year to a year and a half. So I’m looking for something that’s already pre existing. So I’m, I’m planning for hopefully summer or fall of 25.

Lee Kantor: Have you been networking with the other restaurateurs in the area?

Dr Derek S Scott: Uh, a little bit. A little bit, but right now I’ve been kind of concentrating more on Famous Dave and some of the Famous Dave’s that are closer to us here, and just making sure that I have a good knowledge base before we open up.

Lee Kantor: What are some of the things they were telling you? What advice did they give you?

Dr Derek S Scott: Well, just when you’re the first in the area and you’re competing against local chain that it may be slow, but the quality food will win overall. So that’s the main thing is just they want me to concentrate on or the advice was to concentrate on. Make sure you bring the best product to your customer, then they will come.

Lee Kantor: Well, there’s quite a few local chains, at least in the city. Maybe not in the suburbs or exurbs.

Dr Derek S Scott: Yes it is. The competition is stiff, but I think the product that we’ll be bringing to the market is superior to most of them out there, and I think the community will really be happy when we open.

Lee Kantor: Now, what’s it like to make a decision like this when, you know, there’s, um, restaurants similar in the area, but you believe that this is better than what’s out there. How do you kind of go about the pros and cons of, of getting involved in a venture like this?

Dr Derek S Scott: Well, what I did is did my research on the on the parties that are already available in the area where I want to open and make sure that what I’m bringing to the market is better than, better than what’s already there. If I thought it was a good barbecue party, it was better than what they would bring to the market. I wouldn’t bring it, but I think this is superior to what’s out there now. That’s what I truly believe. Right.

Lee Kantor: So you believe it’s exceptional and people will will come for the for the quality.

Dr Derek S Scott: Right? Right. Like that old saying build it. They will come. I think if I open, they will come.

Lee Kantor: All right. Well if somebody wants to learn more about the famous Dave brand while they wait, what’s the website?

Dr Derek S Scott: Uh w-w-w. Famous Dave’s. Com. That’s Dave’s with a S. Dave’s.

Lee Kantor: Famous Dave’s dot com. Well, doctor Derek s Scott, thank you so much for sharing your story. Doing important work and we appreciate you.

Dr Derek S Scott: If I could leave one more note, they also can contact me directly if they want more information about when when I will be opening or more information about the store itself. My email address is actually Famous Dave’s Gar at aol.com.

Lee Kantor: Okay, Famous Dave’s Gar at aol.com. If they want a job or want to explore the opportunity.

Dr Derek S Scott: That’s it. Exactly.

Lee Kantor: Good stuff. Well, thank you again for sharing your story.

Dr Derek S Scott: Thank you for inviting me and hopefully I can see you soon in the restaurant.

Lee Kantor: Sounds good. All right, this is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you all next time on Atlanta Business Radio.