Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que is back in the Alpharetta area. The barbecue chain opens Tuesday, Aug. 25, at State Bridge Crossing, its first Georgia location in nearly 18 years after shuttering a restaurant near North Point during the 2008 financial crisis.

The new restaurant at 10710 State Bridge Road, Suite 150, carries an Alpharetta mailing address but sits within Johns Creek city limits, according to the North Atlanta Star. At roughly 2,800 square feet with about 30 seats, it's a compact, counter-service format built around takeout, family meals and catering rather than a large dining room.

The franchise is led by Dr. Derek S. Scott, operations developer Vetra Stephens and Lord B. Degraffinreid, operating under the entity name The Georgia Partnership. The three have described themselves as longtime Famous Dave's fans from their years living in the Midwest, and they plan to use the State Bridge Road location as a launchpad for broader Georgia expansion, Appen Media reported in July.

The menu will include ribs, brisket, pulled pork, chicken, burgers and family-style platters.

Famous Dave's previously operated three metro Atlanta restaurants, including a location near North Point in Alpharetta, before closing all three in November 2008. The closures affected 135 workers. Then-CEO Christopher O'Donnell said in the 2008 announcement that the company needed "to preserve cash and respond appropriately to the current slowdown in market conditions."

At the time, the company said it was developing a smaller, more cost-effective prototype. The counter-service model now arriving on State Bridge Road fits that description: far smaller than the full-service restaurants that once dotted the metro area, with lower overhead and a focus on convenience.

State Bridge Crossing already houses Tim Hortons and other neighborhood businesses along one of the area's busiest east-west corridors, drawing customers from both Johns Creek and Alpharetta.

Founded in 1994 in Hayward, Wisconsin, Famous Dave's now operates 111 locations in 30 states under parent company MTY Food Group. The Johns Creek restaurant is the chain's only current Georgia location.

The franchise team has not announced hours of operation or a grand opening event. Scott, Stephens and Degraffinreid have said they intend to expand to additional Georgia locations beyond State Bridge Road.