Famous Dave's off to smokin' start

Some people get in line hours before a store opens so they can be the first to buy a new phone, a hot video game or a popular toy for their children.

Not Art Schoelkoef and George Gambichler.

On a recent morning, the two Bel Air friends were waiting in line for meat.

At the recent grand opening of the Bel Air Famous Dave's restaurant, Schoelkoef and Gambichler were the first two customers waiting for a taste of the barbecue joint's menu.

Gambichler arrived at 8 a.m.; Schoelkoef followed at 9:45 a.m. The store wasn't opening until 11 a.m.

Pacing back and forth with a menu in hand, the friends decided to order the two-meat combo.

"I had to get here early," Gambichler said. "I didn't know who was going to be here."

It is enthusiasm from customers like Schoelkoef and Gambichler that has made the first weeks of the Famous Dave's one of the most successful in the company's history. The Alexandria, VA, and Waldorf, MD, stores held the previous records for non-franchised Famous Dave's restaurants, said Area Director Jim Lenchner.

But Lenchner said the Bel Air opening dwarfed the success of the previous top two.

"[We surpassed it] by leaps and bounds," Lenchner said. "We didn't beat it by $10–we smoked it."

No pun intended. Or maybe it was.

According to multiple employees of the Bel Air restaurant, first-week revenue surpassed the previous record in Alexandria by more than $20,000.

Lenchner estimates that the restaurant will create more than 100 permanent jobs, about 40 more than what was expected.

As the early birds like Gambichler and Schoelkoef waited outside, the Famous Dave's training team–identified by their red shirts–was inside getting the permanent Famous Bel Air team–the black shirts–ready to serve the customers.

"How you feeling?" a manager asked.

Their subdued response of "real delicious" was not nearly loud enough.

"Let's try that again," the manager said. "How you feeling?"

"Real delicious!" they shouted.

As Alanis Morissette's "Ironic" played throughout the restaurant, approximately 40 employees walked outside and formed a circle to begin their chants.

Barbecue versions of the Hokey Pokey and the Mickey Mouse song were performed, as was the threatening ballad of "We will, we will, sauce you!"

At about the same time, various town dignitaries–or "local VIPs," as the restaurant called them–began arriving.

These included: Bel Air Commissioner David Carey, Downtown Alliance President Scott Walker, Town Administrator Chris Schlehr, and Chief of Police Leo Matrangola and his wife.

It was not much later that Wilbur, the restaurant's pink pig mascot, arrived in style. He leaped off the back of an old fire engine driven by the Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company to double-high-five anyone who greeted him.

But General Manager Brian Black noticed that the customers were growing impatient.

"This is fun but people want to eat," Black said. "I think we're on to the second round of the [chants]. We're getting some repeats."

Lenchner began the seven-minute opening ceremony by symbolically passing the Famous Dave's "embers bucket," last received in Utah, to Black.

"I charge Brian with bringing the best in barbecue to all of Harford County," said Lenchner, drawing cheers.

Carey then announced that the town was proclaiming Aug. 16, 2010 as "Bel Air Gets Famous Day."

Moments later a fresh slab of ribs was set on the table in front of the main doors for the traditional rib-cutting ceremony. Black placed the blade in the middle of the rack, Carey finished the job with a blow to the knife, and, at long last, the doors swung open.

First inside were Gambichler and Schoelkoef. They snagged the booth nearest the front door.

"If anyone thinks they're getting in before me they better think again," Gambichler said moments earlier with a grin.

Not to be outdone, Dave Hines of Churchville greeted the hostess with this:

"I want to be the first one at the bar."

Much to his delight, he was. Famous Samantha S., the bartender, then served him the first beer in the history of Bel Air's Famous Dave's–a Sam Adam's Lager draught.

Meanwhile, Gambichler and Schoelkoef were already placing their orders.

Hines, who had been to a Famous Dave's once before in Annapolis, was hoping for more of the same experience.

"I've eaten all over the country," Hines said. "Famous Dave's are by far the best ribs I've ever eaten."

 By the time Gambichler and Schoelkoef were finishing the first two meals in the restaurant's history, their opinons were set.

"The pickles are out of site," Gambichler said. "Let me tell you, everything's delicious … they're going to do well."

Schoelkoef was not only satisfied with his food, but also the service.

"They told us it'd be slow–she got us our stuff quick," Schoelkoef said. "It's great."

Right on cue, a smiling waitress named Trish Henss returned to Schoelkoef and Gambichler.

"[It feels] wonderful – it's a famous place," Henss said. "It's been a long road to get it open. We've been training for weeks. ... We were very, very happy to come in today and know for the first time we were going to open the doors to the public of Bel Air."