New restaurant brings ‘famous’ jobs to Tualatin

By Nick Peterson

The Times, May 21, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009

FAMOUS BARBECUE – Chef Bill Lee barbecues free rib samples at Famous Dave’s in the restaurant’s parking lot in Nyberg Woods on Monday.

Jaime Valdez / The Times

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TUALATIN — The wafting, smoky smell of barbecued ribs drew a steady stream of people to the parking lot of Famous Dave’s restaurant at Nyberg Woods shopping center on Monday afternoon. Chef Bill Lee was handing out free samples of the restaurant’s trademark ribs in a preview of Famous Dave’s grand opening set for Memorial Day, and appreciative passersby were eagerly chomping down.

But something even more alluring than free ribs has drawn people to Famous Dave’s recently — the promise of jobs. At a time when it’s all too common to hear about layoffs numbering in the hundreds, Famous Dave’s is bringing 150 new jobs to Tualatin, and people are responding — by the thousands.

“We began taking applications a month ago,” said Danny Mathenia, Famous Dave’s catering manager. “We’ve received 2,500 applications and they’re still coming in.”

Mathenia said it was hard to whittle those applicants down to 145 restaurant workers, plus five managers.

“I felt like we were on ‘American Idol’ kicking people off,” Mathenia said. “I felt so awful, like we were on ‘Survivor:’ ‘I’m sorry. Put out your flame — you’re free to go.’ It was difficult. We wanted to hire everybody, but we wanted to make sure we picked the right people for the right positions. We couldn’t hire a lot of them, but we did hire 150.”

Besides the much-needed jobs, Tualatin is getting a new dining alternative in the deal.

The Famous Dave’s restaurant chain was founded by Dave Anderson in the mid-1990s.

“Dave traveled around United States for 25 years mastering seasoning and barbecuing techniques,” Mathenia said. “He collaborated all the flavors he had tasted in that great mouth of his, and eventually opened his first Famous Dave’s.”

The Tualatin location — 7121 S.W. Nyberg St., in Nyberg Woods — is the 178th Famous Dave’s in the United States, and the first in Oregon.

The restaurant offers seating for 249 people, including family dining, a full-service bar and covered patio area. The restaurant also has a self-contained barbecue trailer and caters everything from graduation parties and company picnics to weddings.

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