Sophie Bennett
Dave's Hot Chicken is an American fast-casual restaurant chain that was founded in 2017 in Los Angeles, California. The chain serves Nashville-style hot chicken and has since expanded to over 100 locations in four countries. In 2025, Dave's Hot Chicken was acquired by the private equity firm Roark Capital in a deal valued at $1 billion. As of 2023, the CEO of Dave's Hot Chicken is Bill Phelps, who joined the company in 2019 as an investor and franchisee. Phelps is a seasoned entrepreneur with experience in growing successful restaurant brands such as Wetzel's Pretzels and Blaze Pizza.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Bill Phelps |
| Previous Experience | Co-founded Wetzel's Pretzels, worked on Blaze Pizza |
| Investor | Yes |
| Number of Instagram Followers | 1,502 |
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What You'll Learn
The current CEO is Bill Phelps
The current CEO of Dave's Hot Chicken is Bill Phelps. Phelps was named CEO after the founders formed an agreement with an investment group in 2019. Dave's Hot Chicken was founded in 2017 in Los Angeles, California, with a single restaurant. By mid-2022, the chain had expanded to over 100 locations in four countries. The chain's menu is simple, with only four choices of 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.
Phelps is an experienced leader in the restaurant business, having previously co-founded Wetzel's Pretzels and worked on the Blaze Pizza brand. He aims to make Dave's Hot Chicken the next big thing in fried chicken. Phelps has helped fuel the company's nationwide expansion by bringing in investors from Blaze Pizza, as well as celebrities such as Samuel L. Jackson, Maria Shriver, and rapper Drake.
Dave's Hot Chicken has seen rapid growth and expansion under Phelps' leadership. In 2020, the company signed an agreement to open 25 restaurants in Canada, with the first location opening in Toronto in 2021. The chain has since expanded to Dubai, Doha, and Riyadh. In 2024, Dave's Hot Chicken signed a deal to open 60 restaurants in the UK, with the first location opening in London. As of 2025, the company has agreements signed for more than 650 units.
Phelps has played a crucial role in the expansion and success of Dave's Hot Chicken, bringing his experience and expertise to the company. With his leadership, the chain has experienced rapid growth and a significant increase in locations.
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Phelps co-founded Wetzel's Pretzels
Bill Phelps is the CEO of Dave's Hot Chicken. Phelps co-founded Wetzel's Pretzels with Rick Wetzel. In an interview, Phelps admitted that they “made every mistake in the book” when they first entered the restaurant business. Despite their inexperience, Phelps and Wetzel grew the business to more than 350 units. After leaving Wetzel's, Phelps brought his expertise to Blaze Pizza, where he worked with Rick and Elise Wetzel again.
Phelps' journey with Wetzel's Pretzels and Blaze Pizza prepared him well for his role as CEO of Dave's Hot Chicken. In 2019, he was contacted by a movie producer and investor in Wetzel's Pretzels and Blaze Pizza, who invited him to try Dave's Hot Chicken. After tasting the product, Phelps was sold on the idea of investing in and expanding the business. Phelps leveraged his connections and brought in many of the same investors from Blaze Pizza, including celebrities like Samuel L. Jackson, Maria Shriver, and rapper Drake.
Phelps' experience in growing Wetzel's Pretzels and Blaze Pizza has been instrumental in the rapid expansion of Dave's Hot Chicken. By 2022, just three years after franchising, Dave's Hot Chicken had expanded to over 100 locations in four countries. The chain's first international location opened in Toronto, Canada, in 2021, and it has since expanded to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. In 2024, Dave's Hot Chicken signed a deal to open 60 restaurants in the UK, with the first British restaurant opening in London.
Phelps' leadership and ability to identify a good idea have been credited as key factors in the success of Dave's Hot Chicken. His experience in the restaurant business has helped him fast-track the growth of the chain and make it the next big thing in fried chicken. Phelps' journey with Wetzel's Pretzels, from its humble beginnings to its success, has provided him with valuable lessons that he has effectively applied to his role as CEO of Dave's Hot Chicken.
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Phelps is an investor in Blaze Pizza
Bill Phelps is the CEO of Dave's Hot Chicken. Phelps is an investor in Blaze Pizza, a restaurant brand he worked on with Rick and Elise Wetzel. After leaving Wetzel's Pretzels, which grew to more than 350 units, Phelps brought what he learned to Blaze Pizza. He then brought in many of the same investors from Blaze Pizza to help fuel the nationwide expansion of Dave's Hot Chicken.
Phelps has said that he and Rick Wetzel were inexperienced when they entered the restaurant business with Wetzel's Pretzels, and that they "made every mistake in the book". However, they learned from these mistakes and did not repeat them at Blaze Pizza. Phelps and the Wetzels set a high bar for franchisees at Blaze Pizza, requiring them to be multi-unit operators of another concept before becoming a franchisee.
Phelps brought in investors from Blaze Pizza, as well as celebrity investors including Samuel L. Jackson, Maria Shriver, and rapper Drake, to help fuel the nationwide expansion of Dave's Hot Chicken. Phelps's experience growing Wetzel's Pretzels and Blaze Pizza has helped him aim to make Dave's Hot Chicken the next big thing in fried chicken.
Dave's Hot Chicken was founded in 2017 in Los Angeles, California, with a single restaurant. By mid-2022, the chain had expanded to over 100 locations in four countries. In June 2025, the chain was acquired by the private equity firm Roark Capital in a deal valued at $1 billion. The acquisition is anticipated to fuel the expansion plans for the chain.
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Dave's Hot Chicken was founded in 2017
The stand's popularity grew substantially after being featured on the food blog Eater Los Angeles, with lines stretching an entire block. By late 2018, the stand was closed, and a restaurant was opened in a nearby strip mall on Western Avenue. The restaurant's walls were decorated with street art by local artists, a style that has become synonymous with the chain.
In fall 2019, the founders formed an agreement with an investment group, including former Wetzel's Pretzels CEO and co-founder Bill Phelps and movie producer John Davis, to franchise the restaurant. This deal paved the way for more than 300 locations across the United States and Canada, with Phelps appointed as the chain's new CEO. Phelps's experience in growing Wetzel's Pretzels and Blaze Pizza positioned him well to lead Dave's Hot Chicken's expansion.
By mid-2022, Dave's Hot Chicken had expanded to over 100 locations in four countries, with celebrity investors like Drake, Samuel L. Jackson, Maria Shriver, Michael Strahan, and Tom Werner. The chain's menu is simple, offering a choice of four hot chicken tenders, sliders, or a combination of both, with seven different spice levels ranging from mild to extremely hot.
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The chain has expanded internationally
The current CEO of Dave's Hot Chicken is Bill Phelps, who is fast-tracking the chain's growth and expansion plans. Phelps has previous experience in the restaurant business, co-founding Wetzel's Pretzels and Blaze Pizza. In 2019, Phelps became involved with Dave's Hot Chicken, which was founded in 2017 in Los Angeles, California. The chain has since expanded internationally, with locations in Canada, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.
The first international location of Dave's Hot Chicken opened in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in January 2021. This expansion was made possible through a deal with Bite Brands, a subsidiary of Obelysk Inc., to open 25 restaurants in Canada. In September 2022, the chain continued its international growth with a location in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This was followed by openings in Doha, Qatar, in November 2022, and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in July 2023.
In addition to its expansion in the Middle East, Dave's Hot Chicken has also established a presence in the United Kingdom. In July 2024, the chain signed a deal with the Zizzi operator, Azzurri Group, to open 60 restaurants in the UK. The first British restaurant opened on Shaftesbury Avenue in London in December 2024, with plans for up to 60 locations starting in 2025.
The expansion of Dave's Hot Chicken internationally is a testament to the chain's popularity and the effectiveness of its leadership. With Phelps at the helm, the chain is expected to continue its rapid growth and establish itself as a major player in the international restaurant market.
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