Jake Harper
Dave's Hot Chicken is a fast-food chain that began in a Los Angeles parking lot in 2017 and has since expanded to over 100 locations in four countries. The chain was founded by four Armenian-American friends, including Dave Kopushyan, who was trained by Michelin-starred restaurateur Thomas Keller at The French Laundry. Kopushyan developed the chain's signature hot chicken recipe, drawing on his experience working in high-end kitchens. The group pooled their savings of $900 to launch the first Dave's Hot Chicken stand, which sold only one item: a hot chicken combo plate. The chain now operates about 320 storefronts, with 800 more planned, and was recently acquired by private equity firm Roark Capital in a deal valued at $1 billion.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of famous chicken restaurateur | Thomas Keller |
| Restaurant where Dave was mentored | The French Laundry |
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What You'll Learn
Dave Kopushyan's culinary experience
Dave Kopushyan is a chef and co-founder of the fast-casual restaurant chain Dave's Hot Chicken. Kopushyan attended culinary school at the Art Institute of California's former Los Angeles campus, where he developed a passion for spices such as cumin, saffron, and cayenne. He then landed a job as a prep cook at Thomas Keller's Bouchon restaurant in LA, where he learned to appreciate the seriousness of the kitchen and strive for perfection.
Kopushyan worked at several other restaurants, including Michelin-starred French chef Ludo Lefebvre's Trois Mec and Trois Familia, before co-founding Dave's Hot Chicken in 2017. The first location was a small street food stand in a parking lot in East Hollywood, Los Angeles, with a limited menu featuring a hot chicken combo plate. Kopushyan developed the chain's signature hot chicken recipe, drawing on his experience working at Thomas Keller's three-Michelin-star restaurant, The French Laundry.
Kopushyan and his co-founders, Arman Oganesyan, Tommy Rubenyan, and Gary Rubenyan, were inspired by the no-frills approach of In-N-Out Burger and the growing demand for fried chicken in Los Angeles. They started with just \$900 in savings and created a simple concept focused on Nashville-style hot chicken with a complex spice blend. Kopushyan likens the Reaper chicken tender, which features the Carolina Reaper pepper, to buying a round of shots, encouraging customers to take turns biting into the spicy treat.
Kopushyan is also particular about the customer experience in Dave's Hot Chicken restaurants. He ensures that every restaurant is outfitted with brightly colored artwork, creating a chill vibe. He also listens to customer feedback, developing five additional heat options beyond the initial two levels (mild and hot) to cater to a range of palates.
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Howlin' Ray's influence
Dave Kopushyan, the chef, co-founder, and namesake of Dave's Hot Chicken, was trained by restaurateur Thomas Keller at the three-Michelin-star restaurant The French Laundry. Kopushyan's culinary expertise, combined with the business acumen of his fellow co-founders, helped propel Dave's Hot Chicken to success.
However, it was their collective inspiration from Chinatown's Howlin' Ray's that spurred them to create their own Nashville hot chicken recipe. Howlin' Ray's, a West Coast beacon of Nashville hot chicken, sparked the idea for Dave's Hot Chicken. Arman Oganesyan, one of the co-founders, brought the others to Howlin' Ray's, and they witnessed its popularity first-hand. They saw the lines at Howlin' Ray's and recognized the potential for a successful business venture.
The influence of Howlin' Ray's on Dave's Hot Chicken can be seen in several aspects:
Popularizing Nashville Hot Chicken: Howlin' Ray's played a pivotal role in popularizing Nashville-style hot chicken on the West Coast, particularly in Los Angeles. This inspired the founders of Dave's Hot Chicken to focus on this unique style of fried chicken, which originated in Nashville and was gaining traction in LA.
Creating a Signature Recipe: Dave Kopushyan, the chef of Dave's Hot Chicken, was inspired to create his own interpretation of Nashville hot chicken after tasting the dish at Howlin' Ray's. He drew from his fine dining experience at The French Laundry to develop a signature hot chicken recipe that rivaled other popular Nashville establishments.
Long Lines and Word-of-Mouth Marketing: The sight of long lines outside Howlin' Ray's impressed the founders of Dave's Hot Chicken. They understood the power of creating a must-try experience that would generate buzz and attract customers willing to queue for hours. This influenced their marketing strategy, which relied heavily on social media and word-of-mouth endorsements.
Simple Menu and High-Quality Chicken: Howlin' Ray's success likely influenced Dave's Hot Chicken's decision to keep their menu simple and focused. Both restaurants prioritized offering a limited selection of dishes that they could execute consistently and with high-quality ingredients, ensuring a memorable experience that kept customers coming back.
Location and Accessibility: While Dave's Hot Chicken started as a parking lot pop-up, they eventually expanded to multiple locations, mirroring Howlin' Ray's success in sparking a fever pitch of hot chicken restaurants across Los Angeles. Dave's Hot Chicken strategically chose locations in Hollywood, Ladera Heights, and eventually expanded globally to cities like London, Dubai, Toronto, and Riyadh.
The influence of Howlin' Ray's on Dave's Hot Chicken demonstrates the power of identifying a popular culinary trend, adapting it to one's own unique vision, and leveraging smart business strategies to build a successful restaurant brand.
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Arman Oganesyan's marketing genius
Arman Oganesyan, the co-founder and CBO of Dave's Hot Chicken, is a marketing genius. Oganesyan, along with his childhood friends Dave Kopushyan and Tommy Rubenyan, founded Dave's Hot Chicken with just $900 in savings. The company is now worth around $1 billion. Oganesyan's marketing ingenuity and use of social media have been instrumental in the company's success.
Oganesyan was a stand-up comedian making $50 a night when he pitched the idea of selling Nashville hot chicken to his friends. With no restaurant or business experience, he helped launch Dave's Hot Chicken in 2017 as a pop-up in an LA parking lot. They made $40 on their first night from four meals sold to Oganesyan's girlfriend and her friends.
The founders spent months eating at various fried chicken joints, watching documentaries on chicken, and experimenting in the kitchen. They discovered the use of pickle juice in the brine by accident after tossing leftover chicken into a pickle jar. Oganesyan credits social media, particularly Instagram, as a major factor in their rise. He said, "We started Dave's Hot Chicken's Instagram very early. That was our only form of marketing. Our main form of marketing today is our social media, and we would tag a famous food blogger and he finally noticed us."
Their first physical restaurant opened in East Hollywood, and the lines went down the street and around the block after a positive review from a reporter from EATER/LA. The company rapidly expanded, opening its first international location in Toronto, Canada, in January 2021. Since then, Dave's Hot Chicken has expanded to over 100 locations in four countries, with plans to open up to 60 restaurants in the UK. In June 2025, the company was acquired by the private equity firm Roark Capital Group in a deal valued at $1 billion.
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Tommy Rubenyan's business partnership
Tommy Rubenyan was one of the co-founders of Dave's Hot Chicken, along with Arman Oganesyan and Dave Kopushyan. The trio grew up together in Hollywood and set up a fried chicken pop-up stand in a parking lot in East Hollywood, Los Angeles, in 2017. They pooled their savings of $900 to launch the business, selling Nashville-style hot chicken tenders and sliders with seven different spice levels.
Oganesyan, who was working as a stand-up comedian at the time, pitched the idea to his childhood friends, and they spent months eating at various fried chicken joints, watching documentaries, and experimenting in Kopushyan's kitchen. They made $40 on their first night from four meals sold to Oganesyan's girlfriend and her friends.
The business quickly gained popularity, and they soon opened their first storefront with the help of Rubenyan's brother, Gary, who joined the team in 2018. By 2019, Dave's Hot Chicken had expanded to multiple locations, and an investor group that included the company's current CEO, Bill Phelps, and celebrities like Samuel L. Jackson and Michael Strahan, bought a stake in the company.
In June 2025, Dave's Hot Chicken was acquired by the private equity firm Roark Capital in a deal valued at $1 billion. The chain expanded rapidly, with over 100 locations in four countries by mid-2022 and plans for further growth. The original founders, including Tommy Rubenyan, retained minority stakes in the company and continue to play a role in its operations.
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The group's social media efforts
The group of four Armenian-American friends who founded Dave's Hot Chicken used social media to attract customers. They credit an LA Eater food writer for bringing them into the limelight, but the explosion of their popularity was the result of an ingenious marketing strategy, investors, and the menu itself.
The four friends took to Instagram to market themselves, and Dave's Hot Chicken's success continues to rely on its social media presence. Their ultra-active social media accounts are visible to billions of social media users and potential customers worldwide, who see tantalizing pictures of fried chicken along with promotions and interactive challenges. For example, the most recent social media challenge dared customers to share videos of themselves trying the hottest chicken, seasoned with one of the world's hottest chilies: Carolina reaper.
In addition to their social media presence, Dave's Hot Chicken also benefited from celebrity investors such as Drake, Samuel L. Jackson, Maria Shriver, Michael Strahan, and Tom Werner. These endorsements further contributed to the brand's popularity and expansion.
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Frequently asked questions
Dave Kopushyan, co-founder and namesake of Dave's Hot Chicken, was a professional chef trained by restaurateur Thomas Keller at the three-Michelin-star restaurant The French Laundry.
Dave's Hot Chicken was founded by four Armenian-American childhood friends: Dave Kopushyan, Arman Oganesyan (or Oganeshyan), Tommy Rubenyan, and Gary Rubenyan.
The founders were inspired by the no-frills approach of In-N-Out Burger and the growing demand for fried chicken in Los Angeles. They also noticed Nashville hot chicken starting to trend, particularly the success of Chinatown's Howlin' Ray's.
The four friends pooled their savings of $900 to set up a small shop in a parking lot in East Hollywood, Los Angeles. Their initial setup included a small street food stand with a portable fryer, a few picnic tables, and a limited menu.
Dave's Hot Chicken gained popularity through a combination of social media marketing, high-quality products, and growing demand for fried chicken in Los Angeles. An LA Eater food writer also played a significant role in bringing them into the limelight. Additionally, the brand's rapid expansion was fueled by brilliant business strategies, celebrity investors, and a simple yet delicious menu.
