A franchisee of Minneapolis-based barbecue restaurant-chain operator Famous Daves of America Inc. hopes to enter the Spokane market.


Pat Courtemanche, a Minneapolis-based spokesman for Famous Daves, says the franchisee, StarRibs WashPac LP, currently is going through a site-selection process here. He says its unclear when a site will be secured and in what part of the Spokane area a restaurant would be located. Its also possible, he says, that more than one Famous Daves eateries would open in the Spokane market.


Given the territory and the size of the market, there certainly will be a restaurant and possibly more than one, Courtemanche says.


Famous Daves announced in June that StarRibs WashPac bought the franchise rights to open three Famous Daves restaurants in Washington state outside of the Seattle metropolitan area. At that time, an affiliated company, StarRibs OrePac LP, bought the franchise rights to open six such eateries in Oregon.


Through other companies, StarRibs owns and operates two Famous Daves restaurants in Southern California and owns the rights to 17 more in Southern and Central California.


Courtemanche says a Famous Daves restaurant generally seats about 200 people and has about 6,000 square feet of floor space. Between 120 and 140 people typically work at a Famous Daves eatery.


A total of 137 Famous Daves restaurants currently operate in 34 states, Courtemanche says. Of those, he says, 97 are operated by franchisees, and 40 are corporate owned.