The British fast food scene is set to welcome another American sensation.
Dave’s Hot Chicken has announced plans to open 60 restaurants in the UK and Ireland.
This expansion follows the successful launch of US favorite Popeyes and the imminent launch of Chick-fil-A in the UK.
Dave’s Hot Chicken is known in the US for its large chicken sliders, jerky and bites.
The brand also offers sides like house-made kale, creamy mac and cheese and crispy seasoned fries.
The chain’s chicken is available in seven spice levels, from no spice to chopper, the latter of which requires a signed waiver due to its intense heat.
Dave’s Hot Chicken has teamed up with the Azzurri Group to spearhead its UK rollout.
The first restaurant is due to open in London in the first quarter of 2025.
It comes at the same time Chick-fil-A is tipped to open its first UK branch.
The Azzurri Group is already a major player in the UK hospitality sector.
Owns well-known brands Zizzi, ASK Italian, Coco di Mama and Boojum.
Azzurri employs over 6,000 staff in 230 restaurants and shops and serves more than 15 million meals a year.
Steve Holmes, CEO of the Azzurri Group, said: “When we first tried Dave’s Hot Chicken we were blown away as it is one of the tastiest and tastiest meals we have ever had.
“We are thrilled to bring this incredible brand to the UK and partner with them on this ambitious launch.”
Bill Phelps, managing director of Dave’s Hot Chicken, added: “The taste of Dave’s Hot Chicken resonates across borders and we look forward to opening the first UK store soon.”
The brand began as a late-night pop-up in a parking lot in 2017, founded by three childhood friends — chef Dave Kopushyan, Arman Oganesyan and Tommy Rubenyan — who pooled $900 to launch the business.
Dave’s Hot Chicken quickly gained popularity, leading to the opening of a brick-and-mortar restaurant in East Hollywood.
In 2019, the founders teamed up with Wetzel’s Pretzels co-founder Bill Phelps to start a franchise.
The brand has since attracted celebrity investors such as Drake, Samuel L. Jackson and Usher.
It currently operates out of 200 restaurants across the US.
But it’s not the only American fast food chain to make the jump across the pond in recent years.
EXPANSION OF FAST FOOD
Popeyes entered the UK market in 2021 and has since become a hit with voracious customers.
In just 30 months, the brand has opened more than 38 restaurants across the UK.
It plans to reach the milestone of 60 restaurants by the end of 2024.
American burger chain Wendy’s, which already has 31 locations in the UK, will also cut the ribbon on eight new locations this year.
The chain returned to the UK high street in 2021 after a 20-year hiatus.
Wendy’s is best known for its square-shaped burgers, which are designed to maximize the amount of meat in each bite.
Famous for its chicken sandwiches and soon to hit UK high streets, we visited Chick-fil-A’s top-secret US headquarters ahead of its UK arrival.
The US fast food giant is set to open its first UK site in early 2025, with four more in the next two years.
What is Chick-fil-A?
CHICK-FIL-A is an American fast food restaurant specializing in chicken sandwiches.
The restaurant was originally founded in College Park, Georgia as the Dwarf Grill in 1946 before finally being renamed Chick-Fil-A in 1967.
The fast food chain operates more than 3,000 restaurants, primarily in the US, with locations in 48 states.
They also have locations in Puerto Rico and Canada.
Chick-fil-A also offers catering services for parties and events in the US.
The brand has always closed on Sundays since founder Truett Cathy decided to do so in 1946.
Working seven days a week in 24-hour restaurants, Truett understood the importance of closing on Sundays so that he and his employees could set aside one day to rest, enjoy time with their families and loved ones, or go to church if they wanted.
The move to open in the UK comes after Chick-fil-A opened a temporary pop-up location in Reading in 2019.
However, the downtown restaurant closed in 2020 after its six-month lease expired.
This came after controversy surrounding comments made by the company’s then-CEO Dan Cathy, who opposed same-sex marriage.
While we don’t yet know where Chick-fil-A plans to open its new UK restaurants, the company told The Sun that they will be strategically located across the UK to give everyone access to the brand.
As in the US, restaurants in the UK will be closed on Sundays.
The chain’s most popular menu items, including Chick-fil-A’s original chicken sandwich, nuggets, waffles and a spicy deluxe chicken sandwich, will all hit Britain’s high streets in 2025.
Shake Shack, which started as a hot dog cart, recently opened its first restaurant in a UK train station.
Brits commuting to St. Pancras, can now grab their favorite burgers before hopping on the train.
The new spot marks the fast food giant’s 16th location in the UK since it launched in Covent Garden in 2013.
It is the brand’s second branch within the travel hub – joining the branch in Gatwick Airport’s North Terminal.
While the majority of Shake Shack’s UK branches are based in London, in recent years bosses have expanded to other locations – including Essex, Oxford and Cardiff.
Shake Shack’s humble beginnings date back to a New York hot dog cart run by Randy Garutti.
Now COO, Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group boasts 430 restaurants worldwide.
Wingstop, which currently operates 39 locations across the UK, is due to open a further 15 in 2024.
Lemon Pepper Holdings, which runs the fast food chain’s UK portfolio, said the move would create up to 750 jobs.
The US hospitality brand said it was its biggest year of expansion since launching Wingstop in the UK six years ago.
Dunkin’ Donuts, which currently has 30 stores in the UK, hopes to open 30 new branches in the next few years as part of a major expansion plan.
Dunkin’ Donuts first landed in the UK in St John’s, Liverpool in May 2016.
The chain is huge in the US, with nearly 9,500 stores spread across the country.
It sells a range of donuts and other sweet treats as well as hot and cold drinks.