Jake Harper
Dave's Hot Chicken is a rapidly growing American fast-food chain that serves Nashville-style hot chicken. Founded in 2017, the company has experienced rapid expansion, with new locations opening up across the United States and internationally. As of July 2025, there are 329 Dave's Hot Chicken locations in the United States, with the majority found in California. The chain aims to open 150 new locations per year and has also begun its international expansion, with plans to open up to 60 locations in the United Kingdom and 180 restaurants across Europe. With its simple menu, colourful restaurants, and celebrity investors, Dave's Hot Chicken has become a popular destination for spicy chicken enthusiasts.
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What You'll Learn
Dave's Hot Chicken's rapid expansion
Dave's Hot Chicken is an American fast-casual restaurant chain that has experienced rapid expansion since its founding in 2017. The chain, which serves Nashville-style hot chicken, has become one of the fastest-growing casual food chains in the United States.
As of July 2025, there were 329 Dave's Hot Chicken locations in the United States, with a presence in 43 states and territories. California had the most locations, with 74 restaurants, followed by Texas and New York. The chain's headquarters are in Pasadena, California, and it aims to open 150 new locations each year.
Dave's Hot Chicken has expanded across the United States, entering new states each year. In 2021, the chain expanded to the Bay Area and added stores in Santa Rosa and Union City. The following year, it continued its expansion into Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, and several other states. In 2023, Dave's Hot Chicken opened its first location in Georgia and expanded internationally to the UK, with plans to open up to 60 locations across Europe. The chain's restaurants are typically 2,500 square feet, but they can vary in size and location, including strip malls, conventional shopping centers, and entertainment centers.
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Celebrity investors
As of December 2024, Dave's Hot Chicken had 283 restaurants globally, with 74 locations in California alone. The company has experienced rapid expansion since its founding in 2017, and its success has attracted several celebrity investors.
One notable celebrity investor in Dave's Hot Chicken is the rapper Drake. Drake's involvement with the brand has included giving away free chicken slider sandwiches at the restaurants on his birthday. Drake's influence, along with the brand's strong social media presence, has helped turn Dave's into a global business with over 300 locations.
Another celebrity investor in Dave's Hot Chicken is Samuel L. Jackson. Jackson is known for his acting career, and his involvement with the brand has likely contributed to its popularity. Other celebrity investors include Maria Shriver, Michael Strahan, and Tom Werner.
In August 2024, Usher became the newest celebrity investor in Dave's Hot Chicken. Usher, an eight-time Grammy Award-winning artist, expressed his excitement about bringing Dave's delicious tenders and sliders to people across Atlanta. The franchise in Georgia is owned by Lawrence Kourie, Andrew Feghali, and Usher.
John Davis, an investor in Pop-up Bagels, is also mentioned as a key figure in the success of Dave's Hot Chicken. Davis brought on board a group of trusted investors, including Phelps, Samuel L. Jackson, and celebrity investment advisor Paul Wachter. Davis's formula for building winning restaurant brands involves taking a large ownership stake and installing his own management team, which he did with Dave's.
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The chain's ideal location
As of July 2025, there are 329 Dave's Hot Chicken locations in the United States, with 74 of those being in California. The chain aims to open 150 new locations per year and has expanded rapidly since its founding in 2017, with upwards of 30 new locations opened in 2021.
Dave's Hot Chicken's domestic franchises are adorned with graffiti murals by Los Angeles-area artists SplatterHaus and Dehmq, featuring an explosion of color. The chain's ideal location would likely be in a busy area with high foot traffic, such as a shopping center or entertainment center, to take advantage of its vibrant and eye-catching interior design.
When selecting new locations, Dave's Hot Chicken looks for operators with some heft, specifically franchise groups that own at least five quick-service or fast-casual restaurants in a market and know their markets well. This strategy allows the chain to partner with experienced and established operators who can effectively manage and promote their locations.
The chain's rapid expansion and flexible location requirements present opportunities for real estate developers and franchisees alike. Dave's Hot Chicken's popularity and celebrity endorsements have likely contributed to its success in securing prime locations and attracting customers.
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International expansion
As of July 2025, there were 329 Dave's Hot Chicken locations in the United States, with 74 of those in California. The company has experienced rapid expansion since its founding in 2017, with upwards of 30 new locations opened in 2021 and continued growth in 2022 and 2023, including its first locations in Wisconsin, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Florida, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Arizona, Idaho, New Jersey, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Washington, Pennsylvania, and Georgia.
In December 2024, Dave's Hot Chicken operated 283 restaurants globally, with its first international location opening in London, UK, in December 2024. The company has ambitious plans for international expansion, signing a deal with Azzurri Group to open 60 restaurants in the UK and 180 restaurants across 10 countries in Europe, including Portugal, Spain, and Germany.
Dave's Hot Chicken's rapid growth and success in the United States have been attributed to several factors. The company aims to open 150 new locations per year, targeting a variety of spaces such as single-tenant buildings, strip malls, conventional shopping centers, entertainment centers, and travel centers. They have also been flexible with their store sizes, typically aiming for 2,500 square feet but showing a willingness to adapt to spaces 500 square feet bigger or smaller. This flexibility has allowed them to expand into non-traditional locations like former mattress and mobile phone stores and even ground floors of office buildings and apartments.
To support their international expansion, Dave's Hot Chicken has partnered with experienced franchisees who have a strong understanding of their respective markets. The company aims to work with franchise groups that own at least five quick-service or fast-casual restaurants in a market. This strategy allows them to leverage the expertise and networks of established operators in new countries.
With a simple menu, a popular product, and a flexible approach to expansion, Dave's Hot Chicken is well-positioned to continue its international growth and bring its Nashville-style hot chicken to new markets worldwide. The company's focus on adaptability, coupled with its partnership with experienced franchisees, sets the stage for a successful international presence.
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The origin of hot chicken
Hot chicken, or Nashville hot chicken, is a type of fried chicken that is a local specialty of Nashville, Tennessee. It is a portion of breast, thigh, or wing that has been marinated, floured, fried, and covered in a spiced paste or sauce. The spice blend typically includes lard and cayenne pepper, and the level of heat intensity can vary. It is served on slices of white bread with pickles.
The dish is said to originate within African American communities in Nashville and has been served there for generations. It may have been introduced as early as the 1930s, but the specific style of spice paste likely dates back to the 1970s. The originator of hot chicken is believed to be the family of André Prince Jeffries, who owns Prince's Hot Chicken Shack. Jeffries claims that the dish was created by accident when her great-uncle, Thornton Prince III, was served fried chicken with extra pepper by his girlfriend as revenge for his late nights out. Thornton Prince and his brothers liked the dish so much that they created their own recipe and opened the BBQ Chicken Shack café in the mid-1930s.
Hot chicken remained a specialty within Nashville's African American communities for many years. It started gaining wider popularity in Nashville and beyond around 2011-2012, with the opening of Hattie B's Hot Chicken in Midtown Nashville in 2012 being a significant factor. Hattie B's made the dish more accessible to a broader audience, particularly to those outside of Nashville's African American community. The popularity of hot chicken has continued to spread, with restaurants in various cities across the United States and even internationally advertising Nashville-style fried chicken.
As of 2025, Dave's Hot Chicken, a fast-casual restaurant chain serving Nashville-style hot chicken, operates 283 restaurants globally, with 329 locations in the United States alone. The chain has expanded rapidly across the US and recently entered the UK market, with plans for further expansion in Europe.
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Frequently asked questions
As of July 2025, there are 329 Dave's Hot Chicken locations in the United States.
As of December 2024, there are 283 Dave's Hot Chicken restaurants globally.
Dave's Hot Chicken is headquartered in Pasadena, California.
There are approximately 70 Dave's Hot Chicken locations in California, which is about 22% of all locations in the United States.
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