Dave's Hot Chicken
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Dave's Hot Chicken is an American
fast casual restaurant A fast casual restaurant, found primarily in the United States and Canada, is a restaurant that does not offer full table service, but advertises higher quality food than fast-food restaurants, with fewer frozen or processed ingredients. It is a ...
chain headquartered in
Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commerci ...
which serves Nashville-style
hot chicken Hot chicken (or Nashville hot chicken) is a type of fried chicken that is a local specialty of Nashville, Tennessee, in the United States. In its typical preparation, it is a portion of breast, thigh or wing that has been marinated in a water ...
. Founded in 2017 in
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
with a single restaurant, the chain expanded to over 100 locations in four countries by mid-2022. Dave's Hot Chicken celebrity investors include
Drake Drake may refer to: Animals and creatures * A male duck * Drake (mythology), a term related to and often synonymous with dragon People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family ...
, Samuel L. Jackson,
Maria Shriver Maria Owings Shriver ( ; born November 6, 1955) is an American journalist, author, a member of the prominent Shriver and Kennedy families, former First Lady of California, and the founder of the nonprofit organization The Women's Alzheimer's M ...
,
Michael Strahan Michael Anthony Strahan ( ; born November 21, 1971) is an American television host, journalist, and former professional American football, football player. He played his entire 15-year professional career as a defensive end for the New York Gian ...
and
Tom Werner Thomas Charles Werner (born April 12, 1950) is an American television producer and businessman. Through his investment in Fenway Sports Group, he is currently chairman of both Liverpool F.C. and Boston Red Sox. Werner first became a part ow ...
. In June 2025, Dave’s Hot Chicken was acquired by the private equity firm Roark Capital in a deal valued at $1 billion.


Menu

The chain's menu is simple, consisting only of 4 choices of hot chicken tenders,
sliders Slider or Sliders may refer to: Arts * K.K. Slider, a fictional character within the ''Animal Crossing'' franchise * '' The Slider'', a 1972 album by T. Rex * ''Sliders'' (TV series), an American science fiction and fantasy television series * ...
or both. Tenders are served on
white bread White bread typically refers to breads made from wheat flour from which the bran and the germ layers have been removed from the whole wheatberry as part of the flour grinding or milling process, producing a light-colored flour. Nutrition Wh ...
, while sliders are served on buns with
pickles Pickle, pickled or Pickles may refer to: Food * Pickle, a food that has undergone pickling * Pickled cucumber * Pickle, a sweet, vinegary pickled chutney popular in Britain, such as Branston Pickle, also known as "sweet pickle" or "ploughman's ...
, house-made " kale slaw" and a
chipotle A chipotle ( , ), or chilpotle, is a smoke-dried ripe jalapeño chili pepper used for seasoning. It is a chili used primarily in Mexican and Mexican-inspired cuisines, such as Tex-Mex and Southwestern United States dishes. It comes in differen ...
mayo sauce known as Dave's Sauce. Customers are offered the choice of seven different spice levels for their chicken, ranging from "no spice" to "reaper" (which requires the customer to sign a waiver). Sides include
french fries French fries, or simply fries, also known as chips, and finger chips (Indian English), are '' batonnet'' or '' julienne''-cut deep-fried potatoes of disputed origin. They are prepared by cutting potatoes into even strips, drying them, and f ...
,
cheese fries Cheese fries or cheesy chips (latter British English) is a dish consisting of French fries covered in cheese, with the possible addition of various other toppings. Cheese fries are generally served as a lunch or dinner dish. They can be found ...
,
macaroni and cheese Macaroni and cheese (colloquially known as mac and cheese and known as macaroni cheese in the United Kingdom) is a pasta dish of macaroni covered in cheese sauce, most commonly cheddar sauce. Its origins trace back to cheese and pasta casserol ...
and "kale slaw." The sandwiches are also available with chicken and a kale slaw which is combination of chicken and healthful vegetables. All locations serve
halal ''Halal'' (; ) is an Arabic word that translates to in English. Although the term ''halal'' is often associated with Islamic dietary laws, particularly meat that is slaughtered according to Islamic guidelines, it also governs ethical practices ...
chicken.


History

The first Dave's Hot Chicken was opened in May 2017 by
Armenian-American Armenian Americans () are citizens or residents of the United States who have total or partial Armenian ancestry. They form the second largest community of the Armenian diaspora after Armenians in Russia. The first major wave of Armenian immig ...
childhood friends Dave Kopushyan, Arman Oganesyan, Tommy Rubenyan and Gary Rubenyan. They were inspired by the no frills approach of In N Out Burger as well as the growing demand for
fried chicken Fried chicken, also called Southern fried chicken, is a dish consisting of chicken pieces that have been coated with seasoned flour or batter and pan-fried, deep fried, pressure fried, or air fried. The breading adds a crisp coating or ...
in Los Angeles. Kopushyan – the chain's namesake – was a professional chef trained by restaurateur
Thomas Keller Thomas Aloysius Keller (born October 14, 1955) is an American chef, restaurateur and cookbook author. He and his landmark Napa Valley restaurant, the French Laundry in Yountville, California, have won multiple awards from the James Beard Found ...
at three-Michelin-star restaurant
The French Laundry The French Laundry is a three-Michelin star French cuisine, French and California cuisine, Californian cuisine restaurant located in Yountville, California, Yountville, California, in the Napa Valley. Sally Schmitt opened The French Laundry in 1 ...
. Drawing from this experience, Kopushyan developed the chain's signature hot chicken recipe. The four friends scraped together $900 to set up a small shop. The original location consisted of nothing more than a small
street food Street food is food sold by a Hawker (trade), hawker or vendor on a street or at another public place, such as a market, fair, or park. It is often sold from a portable food booth, food cart, or food truck and is meant for immediate consumption ...
stand with a portable fryer, a few picnic tables, and a limited menu, and was located in a parking lot in the East Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles. Initially the stand sold only one item: a hot chicken combo plate. Following a feature on the food blog
Eater Los Angeles ''Eater'' is a food website by Vox Media. It was co-founded by Lockhart Steele and Ben Leventhal in 2005, and originally focused on dining and nightlife in New York City. Eater launched a national site in 2009, and covered nearly 20 cities by ...
the stand's popularity grew substantially, with lines that reportedly at times stretched an entire block. By late 2018, the stand was closed and a restaurant was opened in a nearby
strip mall A strip mall, strip center, strip plaza or simply plaza is a type of shopping mall, shopping center common in North America and Australia where the stores are arranged in a row, with a footpath in front. Strip malls are typically developed as a ...
on Western Avenue. The restaurant's walls were decorated with
street art Street art is visual art created in public locations for public visibility. It has been associated with the terms "independent art", "post-graffiti", "neo-graffiti" and guerrilla art. Street art has evolved from the early forms of defiant gr ...
by local artists, a style that has become a recognizable feature of the chain. In fall 2019, the founders formed an agreement with an investment group including former
Wetzel's Pretzels Wetzel's Pretzels is an American chain of fast-food restaurants, specializing in pretzels and hot dogs. The chain has more than 370 locations across the United States, Canada and Central America, as well as formerly in Finland, mostly located i ...
CEO and co-founder Bill Phelps as well as movie producer John Davis to franchise the restaurant. The deal made plans for more than 300 locations in the United States and Canada. The deal saw Phelps named as the chain's new CEO. In winter 2019, the chain opened 2nd and 3rd locations in Los Angeles'
North Hollywood North Hollywood is a neighborhood and district in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, El Portal Theater, several art galleries, and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Th ...
and
Koreatown A Koreatown (), also known as a Little Korea or Little Seoul, is a Korean-dominated ethnic enclave within a city or metropolitan area outside the Korean Peninsula. History Koreatowns as an East Asian ethnic enclave have only been in existence s ...
neighborhoods. In late 2020 and early 2021 the chain expanded into Orange County with stores in
Anaheim Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Greater Los Angeles area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the tenth-most ...
,
Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower ** Orange juice *Orange (colour), the color of an orange fruit, occurs between red and yellow in the vi ...
,
Irvine Irvine may refer to: Places On Earth Antarctica *Irvine Glacier * Mount Irvine (Antarctica) Australia * Irvine Island * Mount Irvine, New South Wales Canada * Irvine, Alberta * Irvine Inlet, Nunavut Scotland *Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotlan ...
and
Tustin Tustin is a city located in Orange County, California, United States, within the Los Angeles metropolitan area. In 2020, Tustin had a population of 80,276. The city does not include the unincorporated community of North Tustin. History Pres ...
, with plans to open 4 more in the county by the end of the year. In 2021, the chain expanded to the
Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose. The Association of Bay Area Governments ...
with stores in
Santa Rosa Santa Rosa is the Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish name for Saint Rose. Santa Rosa may also refer to: Places Argentina *Santa Rosa, Mendoza, a city * Santa Rosa, Tinogasta, Catamarca * Santa Rosa, Valle Viejo, Catamarca *Santa Rosa, La Pampa * S ...
and Union City. The next year the chain added stores in
Oakland Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...
,
Sunnyvale Sunnyvale () is a city located in the Santa Clara Valley in northwestern Santa Clara County, California, United States. Sunnyvale lies along the historic El Camino Real and Highway 101 and is bordered by portions of San Jose to the north, ...
and
San Leandro San Leandro (Spanish for " St. Leander") is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is located in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area; between Oakland to the northwest, and Ashland, Castro Valley, and Hayward to the south ...
. In 2021, the chain opened upwards of 30 new locations and expanded into Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, and Texas. In 2022, the chain expanded into Wisconsin, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Florida, Kentucky, New York, Oklahoma, Arizona, Idaho, and New Jersey. In January 2023, the chain expanded into Nebraska, opening a single store in
Omaha Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...
; as well as Portsmouth, New Hampshire. A Seattle location was opened in 2023, the chain also opened its first Pennsylvania location in 2023. In August 2024, the chain opened its first Georgia location, in Conyers. The franchise in that state is owned by Lawrence Kourie, Andrew Feghali, and Usher. The grand opening featured free food and music, though Usher himself was not in attendance. Subsequently, the chain opened its first Vermont location, in
South Burlington South Burlington is a city in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. Along with neighboring Burlington, it is a principal city of the Burlington metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 20,292, making it the seco ...
. In 2025, Dave's Hot Chicken was acquired by private equity firm
Roark Capital Group Roark Capital Management, LLC, also known as Roark Capital Group or simply Roark Capital, is an American private equity firm with around $37 billion in assets under management. The firm is focused on leveraged buyout investments in middle-market ...
in a deal valued at $1 billion. The acquisition is anticipated to fuel the expansion plans.


International expansion

In May 2020 Dave's Hot Chicken signed an agreement with Bite Brands (a subsidiary of Obelysk inc) to open 25 restaurants in Canada. The chain's first international location opened in
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, Ontario, Canada, in January 2021. In September 2022, Dave's Hot Chicken opened in
Dubai Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...
,
United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...
. In November 2022, Dave's Hot Chicken opened in
Doha Doha ( ) is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor (city), Al Khor and Lusail, it is home to most of the country's population. It ...
,
Qatar Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...
. On July 20, 2023, the chain came to
Riyadh Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. Located on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa, the current form of the metropolis largely emerged in th ...
,
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...
. In July 2024, Dave's Hot Chicken signed a deal with
Zizzi Zizzi Restaurants Limited, trading as Zizzi, is a chain of Italian-inspired restaurants in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is the sister restaurant of ASK Italian, both having been founded by Adam Kaye, Adam and Sam Kaye. In February 2015, Bri ...
operator Azzurri Group to open 60 restaurants in the UK, with the first of its restaurants due to launch early 2025.


See also

*
List of casual dining restaurant chains This is a list of casual dining restaurant chains around the world, arranged in alphabetical order. A casual dining restaurant is a restaurant that serves moderately priced food in a casual atmosphere. Except for buffet-style restaurants and, more ...
*
List of chicken restaurants This is a list of notable chicken restaurants. This list includes casual dining, fast casual and fast food restaurants which typically specialize in chicken dishes such as fried chicken, chicken and waffles, chicken sandwiches or chicken a ...


References

{{Fast-food chains of the United States Companies based in Los Angeles County, California Fast-food chains of the United States Fast-food poultry restaurants Los Angeles Privately held companies based in California Restaurants established in 2017 2017 establishments in California Chicken chains of the United States