Roll up, roll up your fried chicken fans, because there’s a new fast food joint serving up your favorite snack — and has a serious cult following in the US.
Dave’s Hot Chicken started in East Hollywood in 2017 when four friends who loved chicken chairs scraped together enough money ($900) to buy a fryer and start a pop-up business in a parking lot.
They started serving Nashville-style hot chicken and soon people were flocking to get a taste, with Drake, Samuel L. Jackson and Usher all counted among the brand’s biggest fans and investing in the company.
The business was recently named the fastest growing restaurant chain in America as it now has 200 restaurants across America.
But don’t panic if you feel like you’re missing out on something special, as the chain has just signed a deal with Azzurri Group in the UK to open 60 locations across the country.
The Azzurri currently operate several major brands in the UK, including Zizzi, ASK Italian, Coco di Mama and Boojum.
The full list of Dave’s locations is yet to be confirmed, but the first location is set to open in London in early 2025.
Interestingly, there are only two chicken items on the menu – the chairs and the sliders (sandwiches) – as well as a range of sides including fries, cheese fries, mac & cheese and coleslaw. You can also order their combinations to prepare a larger meal.
Customers can customize their order by choosing the level of spice for the dish, from no heat at all to “Reaper,” which is so hot you have to sign a waiver before you can eat it.
Fans online praised the dish, with users on X (formerly Twitter) hailing it as “unreal”, “insane”, “amazing” and 10/10.
@steakshapiro wrote: ‘I just found the craziest chicken sandwich. I’ve heard rumors about it. You can’t even believe that. Dave’s Hot Chicken. UNREAL!!’
While @RevCiancio said: ‘Dave’s Hot Chicken has some of the best hot chicken fingers and sandwiches ever. They are super tasty, extra crunchy and extremely spicy.”
And @vveoko was quick to declare it “the best fast food chicken out there”, saying: “There’s no competition, the fries are damn good too.”
Steve Holmes, CEO of Azzurri Group, said of Dave’s upcoming UK launch: “When we first tried Dave’s Hot Chicken we were blown away as it is one of the tastiest and tastiest dishes we’ve ever had.
“We are thrilled to bring this incredible brand to the UK and partner with them on this ambitious launch.”
Bill Phelps, CEO of Dave’s Hot Chicken, added: “We know there’s an opportunity to make Dave’s Hot Chicken one of the iconic restaurant brands and we’re doing it by partnering with incredible operators like the Azzurri Group.
“The Dave’s Hot Chicken flavor resonates across borders and we look forward to opening our first store in the UK soon.”
The news comes after a number of other popular fast food joints across the pond have announced expansion plans in the UK, including Carl’s Jr, Chick-fil-A, Popeyes, Wendy’s and Little Caesars.
Canadian chain Mary Brown’s Chicken, MB Chicken, also recently opened its first location in Northern Ireland, with several UK locations planned for later this year.
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