Rib City Celebrates 30 Years of Success

This year marks three decades in business for Rib City, a family-owned national barbecue chain founded in Fort Myers.

There are currently 14 corporate restaurants in Florida with 10 locations in Southwest Florida, and 12 franchise restaurants across the country including Washington, Colorado, Tennessee, Ohio, Missouri and Virginia.

Rib City’s concept began in 1989 with a small operation on U.S. 41, owned and operated by father-son restaurateurs Paul and Craig Peden. With the success of that location, a second restaurant opened in Cape Coral the following year.

By 1994, the chain had expanded to include locations in Lee and Collier counties. The Pedens continued to grow the brand, expanding east and as far north as Hillsborough County. In 2004, they began offering franchises in Colorado and have since added franchise locations throughout Colorado, and in Washington, Ohio, Missouri, Tennessee and Virginia. Going forward, the Pedens expect to expand their franchise business with additional locations nationwide.

Rib City is famous for its barbecued meats, specialized sauces and made-from-scratch side dishes such as baked beans and coleslaw. Its distinctive barbecue flavor comes from slowcooking its baby back ribs and chicken over selected hardwoods. Meats can be topped with one of Rib City’s four secret recipe sauces. Additional menu items include fried okra, three-cheese fries, fried shrimp, coconut cream and pecan pies, and more.

For a complete menu and more information, please visit www.ribcity.com.