St. Louis, Mo. — Dave’s Hot Chicken, a Los Angeles-based street food sensation turned breakthrough fast-casual brand, has signed a multi-unit agreement for seven locations across St. Louis — the brand’s first in Missouri — with established entrepreneur Raj Patel and his company, The Hari Group.
The Hari Group now owns and operates over 100 franchise locations across major food brands like McAlister’s Deli, Dunkin’ and Dave’s Hot Chicken.
“I’ve always believed in leading by example and ensuring that each location is effectively set up operationally to thrive,” says Patel, president of The Hari Group. “Our expansion into Missouri marks another milestone in our ambitious growth trajectory. We’re aiming to open seven Dave’s Hot Chicken units in the area over the next 4 years; we are well on our way to achieving the next big goal of expanding to over 20 units. This partnership represents an exciting opportunity to bring something truly special to the St. Louis community.”
“We’re thrilled to continue growing alongside Raj and The Hari Group,” says Bill Phelps, CEO of Dave’s Hot Chicken. “With this expansion into St. Louis, we’re confident the local community will cherish the new spots as their hot chicken haven. We’re eager to see the success Raj experiences in Missouri.”
Founded by Arman Oganesyan and classically trained chef Dave Kopushyan, along with brothers Tommy and Gary Rubenyan in early 2017, Dave’s Hot Chicken initially opened as a parking lot pop-up, with lines quickly wrapping around the block. Since then, the brand has exploded in popularity and now has over 140 locations in the United States and Canada.
As the brand expands, it is seeking restaurant operators and franchise groups to develop the concept in key markets such as Florida, Tennessee, Louisiana, Pittsburgh and Mississippi.
In 2017, three childhood friends — Arman Oganesyan, Dave Kopushyan and Gary Rubenyan — scraped together $900 to launch Dave’s Hot Chicken in an L.A. parking lot, with portable fryers and folding tables in tow. With the help of Gary’s brother, Tommy Rubenyan, Dave’s Hot Chicken soon took off and opened an East Hollywood brick-and-mortar restaurant shortly after. In 2019, the team struck a deal with Wetzel’s Pretzels co-founder and former CEO, Bill Phelps, and movie producer John Davis to begin franchising the Dave’s Hot Chicken concept throughout the U.S. and beyond. The company has sold the rights to more than 700 franchise locations in the U.S., Middle East and Canada and will open 70-plus locations this year. For more information, visit www.daveshotchicken.com/franchising.
SOURCE: Dave’s Hot Chicken