William Kaufman plans to open a Dickey’s Barbecue Pit location on the University of Michigan campus. The student body of the University of Michigan represents approximately 38 percent of the total population of the city of Ann Arbor.

Kaufman’s newly signed development agreement of two Dickey’s locations will be carried out with the first location opening in May 2017 at the Washtenaw Commons Retail Center. Kaufman’s second location will open in the heart of downtown Ann Arbor on the University of Michigan Campus.

“We’re excited William Kaufman is joining the Dickey family and bringing barbecue to the campus,” says Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. “We think William is right when he says Michigan students will love our real pit smoked barbecue.”

Born and raised in Ann Arbor, Kaufman grew up visiting family in Texas where he fell in love with Texas-style barbecue, and Dickey’s in particular. “I grew up eating Dickey’s and I am excited to bring the residents of Ann Arbor their own little bit of Texas-style barbecue,” says Kaufman. “I am most looking forward to opening our campus location to win the hearts of the students of the University of Michigan.”

Kaufman enters into his new venture with Dickey’s Barbecue Pit with his wife, Rebecca and they look forward to opening more stores in the future.