Claire Thompson
Dave's Hot Chicken is a fast-casual restaurant chain headquartered in Pasadena, California, that serves Nashville-style hot chicken. The company was founded in 2017 by Armenian-American childhood friends Dave Kopushyan, Arman Oganesyan, Tommy Rubenyan, and Gary Rubenyan. In June 2025, Dave's Hot Chicken was acquired by the private equity firm Roark Capital in a deal valued at $1 billion. The company has expanded rapidly, with over 100 locations in four countries by mid-2022 and plans to open more restaurants in the UK and Canada. With celebrity investors like Drake, Samuel L. Jackson, and Maria Shriver, Dave's Hot Chicken has gained a cult following. However, it is not clear if Dave's Hot Chicken is publicly traded as it is a private company.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year founded | 2017 |
| Headquarters | Pasadena, California |
| Number of employees | 70 |
| Primary industry | Food Products |
| Company type | Private |
| Celebrity investors | Drake, Samuel L. Jackson, Maria Shriver, Michael Strahan, Tom Werner |
| Number of locations | 315 |
| Countries present in | United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Middle East |
| Parent company | Roark Capital Group |
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What You'll Learn
Dave's Hot Chicken was founded in 2017 by four friends
Dave's Hot Chicken is a private company that was founded in 2017 by four Armenian-American childhood friends: Dave Kopushyan, Arman Oganesyan, Tommy Rubenyan, and Gary Rubenyan. The four friends pooled together $900 to start a pop-up shop selling Nashville-style hot chicken out of a parking lot in Los Angeles. The original location was a small street food stand with a portable fryer, a few picnic tables, and a limited menu. The founders were inspired by the no-frills approach of In-N-Out Burger and the growing demand for fried chicken in Los Angeles. Kopushyan, the chain's namesake, was a professional chef trained by renowned restaurateur Thomas Keller at the three-Michelin-star restaurant The French Laundry. He developed the chain's signature hot chicken recipe.
After six months of long lines thanks to word-of-mouth and social media buzz, the company opened its first brick-and-mortar store in an East Hollywood strip mall. The chain's menu is simple, consisting of only four choices: hot chicken tenders, sliders, or both. Tenders are served on white bread, while sliders are served on buns with pickles, house-made "kale slaw," and a chipotle mayo sauce known as Dave's Sauce. Customers can choose from seven different spice levels for their chicken, ranging from "no spice" to "reaper," which requires a waiver to be signed.
Dave's Hot Chicken has since expanded rapidly, with over 100 locations in four countries by mid-2022, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Middle East. The company has benefited from a cult following and celebrity investors such as Drake, Samuel L. Jackson, Maria Shriver, Michael Strahan, and Tom Werner. In June 2025, Dave's Hot Chicken was acquired by the private equity firm Roark Capital Group in a deal valued at $1 billion. The acquisition is expected to fuel the company's expansion plans further.
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The company has celebrity investors, including Drake
Dave's Hot Chicken is a private company headquartered in Pasadena, California, that was founded in 2017. It was started by Armenian-American childhood friends Dave Kopushyan, Arman Oganesyan, Tommy Rubenyan, and Gary Rubenyan, who pooled $900 together to set up a small shop selling Nashville-style chicken out of a parking lot in Los Angeles. The company has since expanded to over 100 locations in four countries by mid-2022, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Middle East.
The company has a range of celebrity investors, including Drake, who bought a minority stake in 2021. Drake's social media presence and hype—he has 142 million Instagram followers—have likely contributed to the company's success. Other celebrity investors include actor Samuel L. Jackson, journalist Maria Shriver, television host and former NFL player Michael Strahan, and Boston Red Sox chairman Tom Werner.
In June 2025, Dave's Hot Chicken was acquired by the private equity firm Roark Capital in a deal valued at $1 billion. This acquisition is expected to fuel the company's expansion plans.
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It was acquired by Roark Capital Group in 2025
Dave's Hot Chicken is not a publicly traded company. It is a private company that was acquired by Roark Capital Group in June 2025 in a deal valued at $1 billion. The acquisition is expected to fuel the company's expansion plans.
Dave's Hot Chicken was founded in 2017 in Los Angeles, California, by Armenian-American childhood friends Dave Kopushyan, Arman Oganesyan, Tommy Rubenyan, and Gary Rubenyan. They started with a single restaurant and a $900 investment, selling Nashville-style chicken from a parking lot. The company quickly gained popularity through word-of-mouth and social media buzz, leading to the opening of their first brick-and-mortar store in East Hollywood within six months.
The chain expanded rapidly, reaching over 100 locations in four countries by mid-2022. This growth was fuelled by franchising, with 315 store locations in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Middle East as of 2024. The company also benefited from celebrity investors such as Drake, Samuel L. Jackson, Maria Shriver, Michael Strahan, and Tom Werner, who helped create a cult following.
Roark Capital Group, a private equity firm, recognised the potential of Dave's Hot Chicken and acquired the company in 2025. This acquisition is a significant milestone in the company's history and indicates a promising future for the popular chicken chain.
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Dave's Hot Chicken has expanded to over 100 locations in four countries
Dave's Hot Chicken is a fast-casual restaurant chain that was founded in 2017 in Los Angeles, California. The company's menu features Nashville-style hot chicken tenders, sliders, fries, and kale slaw, with a choice of seven spice levels ranging from mild to extremely hot. Starting from a single restaurant, Dave's Hot Chicken has expanded rapidly, and by mid-2022, it had already established a presence in four countries and boasted over 100 locations. This impressive growth can be attributed to franchising, a dedicated fan base, and celebrity endorsements.
The story of Dave's Hot Chicken began in a parking lot in East Hollywood, where four Armenian-American childhood friends, Dave Kopushyan, Arman Oganesyan, Tommy Rubenyan, and Gary Rubenyan, set up a pop-up shop with just \$900 in capital. Their simple menu and Nashville-style chicken quickly gained popularity, attracting long lineups and social media attention. Within six months, the first physical store opened its doors in an East Hollywood strip mall, marking the beginning of the chain's expansion.
The company's exponential growth is largely due to franchising, which has allowed it to expand its reach across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Middle East. By May 2020, Dave's Hot Chicken had signed an agreement with Bite Brands to open 25 restaurants in Canada, with the first international location debuting in Toronto in January 2021. The chain continued its global expansion with openings in Dubai (September 2022), Doha (November 2022), and Riyadh (July 2023). Additionally, in July 2024, a deal was signed with the Azzurri Group to launch 60 restaurants in the UK.
Dave's Hot Chicken has also benefited from a cult following and celebrity endorsements. The chain has gained a dedicated fan base, with customers drawn to its signature hot chicken recipe developed by professionally trained chef and co-founder Dave Kopushyan. Celebrity investors have further contributed to its success, with prominent names like Drake, Samuel L. Jackson, Maria Shriver, Michael Strahan, and Tom Werner investing in the company. Drake, in particular, with his vast social media influence, has helped create a buzz around the brand, attracting even more customers.
In June 2025, Dave's Hot Chicken was acquired by the private equity firm Roark Capital Group in a deal valued at \$1 billion. This significant milestone is expected to further fuel the company's expansion plans and solidify its presence in the highly competitive restaurant industry. With its combination of delicious food, strategic business moves, and dedicated fan base, Dave's Hot Chicken is poised for continued success and expansion in the years to come.
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The company's primary industry is food products
Dave's Hot Chicken is a private company headquartered in Pasadena, California. It was founded in 2017 by Armenian-American childhood friends Dave Kopushyan, Arman Oganesyan, Tommy Rubenyan, and Gary Rubenyan. The company's primary industry is food products, specifically Nashville-style hot chicken. The menu is simple, consisting of only four choices: hot chicken tenders, sliders, or both. Tenders are served on white bread, while sliders are served on buns with pickles, house-made "kale slaw," and a chipotle mayo sauce known as Dave's Sauce. Sides include French fries, cheese fries, macaroni and cheese, and "kale slaw."
The company started as a small street food stand with a portable fryer and a few picnic tables in a parking lot in Los Angeles. The founders pooled together $900 to start the business, and the original location quickly gained popularity through word of mouth and social media buzz. Within six months, Dave's Hot Chicken opened its first brick-and-mortar store in an East Hollywood strip mall. The chain has since expanded to over 100 locations in four countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Middle East. As of 2024, the company had 315 store locations, with plans to open 60 more restaurants in the UK through a deal with the Azzurri Group.
Dave's Hot Chicken has a celebrity investor base, including Drake, Samuel L. Jackson, Maria Shriver, Michael Strahan, and Tom Werner. In June 2025, the company was acquired by the private equity firm Roark Capital Group in a deal valued at $1 billion. The acquisition is expected to fuel the company's expansion plans further.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Dave's Hot Chicken is a private company. In 2025, it was acquired by the private equity firm Roark Capital Group.
Dave's Hot Chicken has several celebrity investors, including Drake, Samuel L. Jackson, Maria Shriver, Michael Strahan, and Tom Werner. In 2025, Roark Capital Group acquired the company in a deal valued at $1 billion.
Dave's Hot Chicken is primarily in the food products industry, specifically operating as a fast-casual restaurant chain serving Nashville-style hot chicken.
