Pasadena, Calif. — Dave’s Hot Chicken opened its 500th restaurant, in Phoenix, on Oct. 8. The growing brand had reached its 400th restaurant earlier in 2026; shortly after, the brand opened a record eight restaurants in a single day in April across markets from Connecticut to Utah. In total, Dave’s has added approximately 100 restaurants since April.
What started in 2017 as a late-night pop-up, Dave’s made the leap to brick-and-mortar within months, eventually catching the attention of Wetzel’s Pretzels co-founder Bill Phelps, who partnered with the founders to begin franchising the concept nationwide.
“When [we] started this, we weren’t thinking about hundreds of restaurants. We were focused on making the best hot chicken we could and getting people to try it,” says Arman Oganesyan, co-founder of Dave’s Hot Chicken. “To see Dave’s reach 500 locations and become what it is today is hard to put into words. The scale has changed, but the energy and obsession with the food that got us started are still at the heart of who we are.”
“Reaching 500 restaurants is an incredible milestone, especially when you consider where Dave’s started and how quickly the brand has grown,” says Jim Bitticks, CEO of Dave’s Hot Chicken. “That growth reflects the strength of our franchise partners, our operating model and the teams supporting these restaurants every day. We’re proud of the pace, but what matters most is continuing to grow the right way.”
Internationally, Dave’s has expanded across Canada and the Middle East and made its European debut with a high-profile flagship on London’s Shaftesbury Avenue. That opening helped kick off a 60-restaurant development agreement across the UK and Ireland, and Dave’s has since expanded its partnership with Azzurri Group through an additional 180-restaurant agreement spanning 10 European countries, including France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Portugal and the Netherlands.
For more information, visit www.daveshotchicken.com/franchising.
SOURCE: Dave’s Hot Chicken