Claire Thompson
Dave's Hot Chicken is a restaurant that has generated a lot of interest online, with some posts indicating that a new branch may be opening on Haynes Bridge Road in Atlanta. There is also a subreddit dedicated to the restaurant in Livermore, California, and another for Northern Virginia. Interestingly, music star Usher is mentioned in one post as having opened the first Dave's Hot Chicken restaurant, but it is unclear where this restaurant is located.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of locations | Nearly 300 locations across the US |
| Annual sales | $1 billion |
| Parent company | Roark Capital |
| Food | Fried chicken, chicken tenders, chicken sliders, cheese fries |
| Food price range | $15 - $20 |
| Customer reviews | Mixed |
| Celebrity investors | Drake, Usher |
| Location in Atlanta | Conyers, Georgia |
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What You'll Learn
Dave's Hot Chicken is opening a location in Atlanta
Dave's Hot Chicken is expanding to Atlanta, Georgia! The popular fried chicken franchise, known for its trendy and colourful aesthetic, has signed a deal with Atlanta-based private equity firm Roark Capital for a $1 billion buyout. With this move, Dave's Hot Chicken is bringing its unique brand of fast-casual dining to a new city, adding to its almost 300 locations across the country.
The Atlanta location is expected to be a highly anticipated addition to the city's food scene. Dave's Hot Chicken has developed a reputation for its delicious specialty chicken, with a range of spice levels to cater to different tastes. The restaurant's atmosphere is consistently packed and vibrant, and the quality of the food keeps customers coming back for more.
The Atlanta outpost will join existing locations in states like California, where it started as a pop-up in Los Angeles in 2017, and Georgia, where there is already a Dave's Hot Chicken in Conyers. The Conyers location has received rave reviews on TripAdvisor, with customers praising the food, freshness, and service.
The expansion to Atlanta is also notable due to the involvement of celebrity investors and franchisees. Popular R&B star Usher, an Atlanta native, has launched his own franchises in the city, bringing even more buzz to the brand. Additionally, rapper Drake has leveraged his massive Instagram following to promote the restaurant, giving away free chicken sandwiches to his millions of followers on his birthday.
With its combination of tasty food, viral marketing, and now a major buyout, Dave's Hot Chicken is poised to make a big impact in Atlanta. The new location will add to the growing list of quick-service restaurants (QSRs) in the city, offering residents and visitors another delicious option for their fried chicken cravings.
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Usher opened the first Dave's Hot Chicken in Atlanta
R&B star Usher has launched his own franchises of Dave's Hot Chicken in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. Dave's Hot Chicken started as a pop-up in Los Angeles in 2017 and has since expanded to nearly 300 locations across the country, with annual sales of $1 billion. The chain has a colourful, artsy, graffiti aesthetic and serves specialty chicken dishes.
Usher is not the only celebrity to have invested in the fried chicken franchise. Rapper Drake leveraged his large Instagram following to drum up interest in the restaurant by giving away free chicken sandwiches on his birthday. Basketball legend LeBron James was also recruited as a spokesperson and franchisee for Blaze Pizza, another restaurant owned by Roark Capital, the private equity firm that bought Dave's Hot Chicken for $1 billion.
Dave's Hot Chicken has received positive reviews for its food, with customers praising the range of spice levels and the quality of the food. However, it has also been criticised for being overpriced, with a typical meal costing between $15 and $20. Despite this, the chain has experienced rapid growth, with almost 300 locations across the country.
Usher's franchises in Atlanta will add to the growing number of Dave's Hot Chicken locations across the United States. The artist is leveraging his celebrity status to bring attention to the brand, following in the footsteps of Drake and LeBron James. With the backing of celebrity investors and its recent billion-dollar buyout, Dave's Hot Chicken is set to continue expanding both nationally and globally.
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Dave's Hot Chicken is a fast-casual restaurant chain
Dave's Hot Chicken has experienced viral word-of-mouth marketing, contributing to its popularity and rapid expansion. The chain has signed a $1 billion deal with Atlanta-based private equity firm Roark Capital, reflecting its success and growth potential. Roark Capital owns several iconic food franchises, including Dunkin' Donuts, Baskin Robbins, and Subway, among others.
Despite some criticism of its pricing, with meals ranging from $15 to $20, Dave's Hot Chicken has developed a loyal customer base. Its locations are often crowded, demonstrating their popularity. The chain has a presence in Conyers, Georgia, near Atlanta, and has received mixed reviews for this particular location. While some customers were disappointed with the taste of the food, others praised the freshness, spice levels, and menu selection.
Dave's Hot Chicken has become a prominent player in the fast-casual and QSR chicken market, competing with established brands like Chick-fil-A, Popeyes, and KFC, as well as newcomers like Bonchon and Hattie B's. The chain's rapid expansion and popularity among customers have made it a notable success story in the restaurant industry.
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Dave's Hot Chicken was bought for $1 billion
In 2017, Dave's Hot Chicken was founded by childhood friends Arman Oganesyan, Dave Kopushyan, and brothers Tommy and Gary Rubenyan. The children of Armenian immigrants, they grew up together in East Hollywood and dropped out of high school. They started the business with $900 in savings, selling Nashville-style chicken in a parking lot near where they grew up. Their chicken gained an immediate cult following, and they soon expanded across the US and internationally.
In 2019, an investor group that included actor Samuel L. Jackson, Good Morning America anchor and former NFL player Michael Strahan, movie producer John Davis, Red Sox owner Tom Werner, and current CEO Bill Phelps bought a stake in the company with plans to franchise the brand. Phelps, a franchise business veteran who had previously co-founded Wetzel's Pretzels, expanded the chain's presence nationally and internationally, adding locations in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Middle East.
In June 2025, it was announced that Dave's Hot Chicken sold a majority stake to private equity firm Roark Capital, which owns several other restaurant brands, in a deal worth close to $1 billion. The sale made 19 employees millionaires, including the four founders.
As for the presence of Dave's Hot Chicken in Atlanta, there is a mention of a location on Haynes Bridge Road, however, it is unclear if this location is currently open. A post on Reddit from January 2025 indicates that it may have been in the process of opening at that time.
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Dave's Hot Chicken has mixed reviews
Dave's Hot Chicken is a fast-casual restaurant chain with a colourful, artsy, graffiti aesthetic. It started as a pop-up in Los Angeles in 2017 and has since grown rapidly, with nearly 300 locations across the country and annual sales of $1 billion. The chain has recently been bought out by Atlanta-based private equity firm Roark Capital for $1 billion. Celebrity investors like rapper Drake have helped to drum up interest in the restaurant, with Drake giving away free chicken sandwiches to his 144 million Instagram followers on his birthday every year since 2022. R&B star Usher has also launched his own franchises in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia.
Despite its popularity, Dave's Hot Chicken has received mixed reviews from customers. While it consistently receives positive reviews for its specialty chicken, it is also frequently noted as being overpriced, with a typical meal costing between $15 and $20. Some customers have also complained about the limited number of side options available.
One customer, writing on Tripadvisor, described Dave's Hot Chicken as "one of the best hot chicken chains in the United States". They praised the cleanliness of the restaurant, the quality of the food, and the range of spice levels available to suit different tastes. They also noted that the restaurant was consistently packed, which they saw as a positive indicator of its popularity. Their go-to order is the chicken tenders with cheese fries, and they also recommended the sliders.
However, another customer left a negative review, describing their experience as a "waste of time and money". They said that the chicken bites tasted like hot dog chilli sauce and that the chicken was not good. They also mentioned that the drive-through service was pleasant and polished, but that the restaurant had challenges with crowding and parking.
Overall, while Dave's Hot Chicken has its fans, there are also customers who have been left disappointed by the high prices and mixed quality of the food.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, there is a Dave's Hot Chicken in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
The restaurant is owned by music star Usher.
There are also locations in Northern Virginia, Pickering, Ontario, and Omaha, Nebraska.
Dave's Hot Chicken serves regular and mini-sized sliders, perfect for a snack or a full meal.
