Running a barbecue restaurant is far removed from the tennis academy where Alex and Danni Weinstein met in high school, but the competitive drive that brought them together 14 years ago is in full force with their business venture.

About a month ago, the Weinsteins opened Dickey’s Barbecue Pit in the former J.D. Morrell’s location on Hutton Ranch Road in north Kalispell.

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit is a Texas-based barbecue fast-casual restaurant. The Kalispell franchise is the third Dickey’s in Montana; others are in Missoula and Billings. It’s an old franchise, however. Dickey’s started in Dallas in 1941 and now has 560 franchises nationwide.

It’s the Weinsteins’ first venture in the restaurant business, and business has been good so far, they reported.

Whitefish sports fans will remember Danni Weinstein as Danni Paulson, the tennis phenom who finished her Whitefish High School tennis career in 2006 with a 77-0 record and three straight state titles.

Alex Weinstein was a formidable tennis player in his own right. The couple met on the court at the Weil Tennis Academy in Ojai, California, in 2002, when Danni was just a freshman. Alex and his family moved to Whitefish a while later and he finished his senior year at Whitefish High.

“We were both highly competitive junior players,” Danni recalled.

Both of them played tennis for the University of Montana, where Alex earned a degree in sociology and Danni completed a communications degree.

Both headed into different careers after college. Danni spent five years at D.A. Davidson & Co. while Alex operated an e-commerce online business.

So how did they get into the restaurant business?

“We both were really looking for something different for Kalispell,” Danni said.

“We just both see the way Kalispell is growing. We love to eat out and do frequently, and we felt this type of food, along with the type of fast-casual dining experience, is something there is a market for.

“That got us researching,” she said. “When we went out to Dallas and toured the facility and restaurants down there, we were very impressed with what we saw.”

Dickey’s features a streamlined process and no frozen food inventory. All of the inventory is kept in refrigerators and arrives by truck twice a week.

The longest shelf life of anything on the menu is five days.

Alex spent two months in training at the corporate store in Dallas.

One of the biggest lessons learned: “There are no shortcuts in barbecue.”

The various cuts of meat are on display in a refrigerated cooler so customers can see the products used in the slow smoking process that is underway about 14 hours overnight every day of the week.

“The whole company just has really high standards and a high-quality level of food,” Alex said.

Dickey’s employs a staff of 16 and offers catering for special events such as weddings, holiday parties and corporate meetings. For various holidays, the restaurant offers the option of ordering whole hams and turkeys with all the trimmings.

It’s a full schedule for the young couple, especially with 9-month-old daughter Isabella Marie to care for as well.

“Thank God for my parents,” Danni said. She is the daughter of JP and Sunnie Paulson, who now reside in Kalispell.

Dickey’s menu runs the gamut, from smoked beef brisket to pulled pork, pork ribs and kielbasa, along with a variety of sandwich choices and side dishes.

A popular offering has been the “kids eat free on Sunday” special for those 12 and younger.

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit restaurant hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week.

Call 406-890-6340 for more information or order online at dickeys.com.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.