Connect Retail West 2026
Dave’s Hot Chicken turns up the heat on second-generation space
Dannon Shiff, SVP of Real Estate, will speak about Dave's site selection strategy and more at the annual Connect Retail West on Nov. 17 in Los Angeles.
November 5, 2026 by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com
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ClaudeLos Angeles-based Dave's Hot Chicken is leaning hard on second-generation restaurant space to keep up its development pace, with conversions now making up more than half of its pipeline by the brand's own estimate.
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| Fast Casual Publisher Cherryh Cansler interviews Dannon Shiff, SVP of Real Estate, Dave's Hot Chicken, on a recent podcast at ICSC. Watch the podcast here. Shiff is a panelist at the Connect Retail West, Nov. 17 at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills. |
The 400-unit hot chicken chain has opened more than 100 locations globally this year and is on track to add 40 by year's end, Dannon Shiff, SVP of Real Estate, Dave's Hot Chicken, said in an email interview. It hopes to open at least that many in 2027, said Shiff, who will speak about that and more at the annual Connect Retail West, Nov. 17 at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills.
"Lack of new product has created an opportunity for us to lean into 2nd generation locations more and find ways to convert locations to help our franchisees develop efficiently and open quicker," Shiff said. "I estimate that 2nd generation spaces are greater than 50% of our pipeline at the moment, if not higher."
A competitive market
Shiff described the market as competitive and said inducement packages vary depending on the overall deal structure.
"We've been creative there to find ways to mix rent structures, cash allowances and free rent periods to make deals," he said.
Site-selection wish list
The brand's site list still starts with location, whether that means new construction or a conversion, with or without a drive-thru. Dave's is exploring smaller footprints than its prototypical 2,500-square-foot restaurant to open up more opportunities, and it still wants strong fast-casual and daily-needs co-tenants.
It's also moving into nontraditional venues. Dave's has two airport locations open, in Las Vegas and Boston, with more on the way, and a handful of food court sites on the radar.
Grocery-anchored and daily-needs centers remain the brand's most active category, though Shiff said it looks at all property types where they make sense.
"Convenience is key and being where our guests are already going for their retail and dining decisions," he said.
In the West, Shiff said the brand still sees plenty of opportunity but is being selective about markets. The best landlord partners understand there's give and take, he said, and deal terms that account for permitting, inspections and other delays outside a tenant's control show that a landlord understands what tenants face today.
His message for the owners, investors, developers and brokers at Connect Retail West centers on the operators behind the brand.
"I get the opportunity to work with some of the best franchisees in the world, who are committed to continuing to build Dave's Hot Chicken," Shiff said. "They are all passionate, experienced, multi-unit operators who know what it takes to continue the growth that we've been able to achieve over the past 5 years."
Want to hear more?
Register here for Connect Retail West. Shiff's panel, "Capital Flows, Transactions, and Valuation Trends in Western Retail," will examine investment sales activity, valuation trends, refinancing challenges, debt market conditions, insurance costs, and the factors driving capital allocation decisions across the Western U.S. It also includes speakers Greenberg Glusker, The Oak Companies and Newmark.
The conference starts at 12:30 p.m. and ends with a cocktail hour at 5:30 p.m. Check out the full agenda and speaker lineup here.
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