As of December 29, 2019, BBQ Holdings restaurants operated in 32 states, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates.
In fiscal 2019, we continued our focus on increasing sales and traffic through various initiatives. These initiatives included; New SMS text platform, Daily Deals promotion targeted at driving weekly dine-in traffic, Plant-Based menu limited-time offering, new menu item testing, continued testing of restaurant refreshes and enhancing our online ordering experience. Off-Premise was a key driver of our sales growth and we continued to expand on these capabilities while also driving adoption in our franchise community.
In October of 2018, we launched our new menu including an average of 10 new menu items across our system. In 2019, we continued to focus and analyze these items while also testing new items like Pretzels and Bratwurst. We also rolled out our Game Day Sampler, which was a “finger-food” based platter utilized as a promotion for various sporting events throughout the year.
In the second quarter of 2019, we launched an SMS-Text program in order to increase frequency and simplify our interaction with loyal guests. This program was a large success in driving traffic and we look to continue building on this program in fiscal 2020.
In fiscal 2020 we will continue our focus on driving sales by expanding on 2019 initiatives along with a new menu pricing strategy and continuing our restaurant refresh program. We are also working diligently to drive unit level margins with a focus on managing controllable costs in our restaurants. We believe continued adoption of technology will help offset increases in labor costs and working to streamline back-of-house operations. Some of these technology tests include; Handheld tablets, Kitchen Display Systems, Tabletop ordering and Kiosks.
In Fiscal 2019, our Franchisees opened two small format Restaurants and Famous Dave’s opened one. We look to continue evaluating these prototypes in fiscal 2020 for continued unit growth.
Throughout this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we refer to certain metrics of our franchise-operated restaurants; however, franchise-operated restaurants are not owned by us and therefore are not included in our consolidated results of operations and financial position. We believe that disclosure of certain information related to franchise-operated restaurants provides useful information to investors as the performance of franchise-operated restaurants directly impacts royalty and other revenues that we receive from our franchisees and has an impact on the perceived success and value of the Famous Dave’s brand.
Financial Information about Segments
Since its inception, our revenue, operating income and assets have been attributable to the single industry segment of the foodservice industry. Our revenue and operating results for each of the last two fiscal years, and our assets for each of the last two fiscal years, are disclosed in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data to this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Narrative Description of Business
Famous Dave’s restaurants, a majority of which offer full table service, feature wood-smoked and off-the-grill entrée favorites that fit into the barbeque category. We differentiate ourselves by providing high-quality food in distinctive and comfortable environments with signature décor and signage. As of December 29, 2019, 25 of our Company-owned restaurants are full-service and 5 are counter-service. Our prototypical design includes a designated bar, a signature exterior smokestack, a separate entrance for our To Go business and a patio. The Famous Dave’s concept can be adapted to fit various location sizes and desired service styles such as full-service or counter-service.
In fiscal 2019, our franchisees opened a Famous Dave’s restaurant in El Centro, Texas, Tucson, Arizona, Provo, Utah, and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. In fiscal 2019, Famous Dave’s opened a location in Minneapolis, Minnesota to replace the Calhoun Square location, which closed in the second quarter of fiscal 2019. In fiscal 2018, our franchisees opened a restaurant in El Paso, Texas and Fort Mill, South Carolina. In fiscal 2020 we may look to