The first Famous Dave’s Restaurant in Maine is expected to open soon in Scarborough, bringing with it about 100 jobs and a ray of hope in the gloom of the town’s developmental slowdown, town officials say.

Famous Dave’s, a chain restaurant featuring real-pit barbecue, plans to open on Feb. 9, said Shane Ward, general manager of the Scarborough location. “We hope to involve the Scarborough Fire Department and Scarborough leadership to our opening,” Ward said.

The company expects to hire nearly 100 workers, ranging from bartenders and wait staff to hosts, cooks and dishwashers, Ward said. So far, 50 have been hired.

“We will be a major employer in the area,” Ward said.

Famous Dave’s has 146 locations throughout the United States. The Scarborough restaurant will be the fourth restaurant in New England. Massachusetts has two restaurants and New Hampshire has one.

Ward said the company chose the Scarborough location because of its proximity to Cabela’s sports gear outlet and because of the town’s development values that could attract more businesses to the area, generating more clients for the restaurant.

The new restaurant will be located at 3 Cabela Boulevard. It will be about 6,200 square feet and can entertain about 180 diners. It will also feature a full-service sports bar with four televisions. The bar will be able to accommodate about 40 people, Ward said.

“The fact that we are right off the highway and in front of Cabela’s makes it easier to find parking and not fight traffic at the Maine Mall,” Ward said. “That made the decision to locate there easy for us.”

Famous Dave’s opening comes at a time when Scarborough has seen a few projects canceled, including Fairchild Semiconductor’s planned move from South Portland to Gateway Square on Payne Road across from Cabela’s.

“It’s a tremendous opportunity for the town,” said Scarborough Planning Board Member John Chamberlain. “Any time you have a company like this choose Maine in general it’s a compliment, but to have them choose Scarborough is a greater honor.”

He added, “It will also help us continue to grow in the right direction.”

Famous Dave’s is known for its hickory-smoked barbecue food. Menu items include St. Louis ribs, baby back ribs, Georgia chopped pork, rib tips, beef brisket, barbecued chicken, green salads and desserts.

The restaurant will also feature a catering service that will do on-site and drop-off catering, Ward said. It will be able to cater for up to 5,000 people, he said.