Franchising
Dave's Hot Chicken headed to South Carolina
July 7, 2022
Dave's Hot Chicken, a Los Angeles-based street food brand, has inked a franchise agreement with Kal Gullapalli to open locations throughout South Carolina, focusing on the greater Columbia, Charleston, Greenville and Myrtle Beach areas, according to a company press release.
"I'm thrilled to bring Dave's Hot Chicken to South Carolina. Nashville hot chicken is already delicious as it is, but Dave's takes it to another level not found anywhere else in the category, and I think it will be a hit in the area," said Gullapalli, who owns many of the Marco's Pizza locations throughout South Carolina. "Not only is the food fantastic, but the leadership backing the brand is impeccable, and these appealing factors have set me up well for successful operations."
The Dave's Hot Chicken team is seeking 2,000 to 2,700-square-foot endcaps and freestanding locations, with or without drive-thru capacity for expansion.
"Every time we make our entrance into a new state, we have to be conscious that we're partnering with the right operator to make a great first impression," said Shannon Swenson, VP of franchise development at Dave's Hot Chicken, said in the release. "Kal is the perfect example of the operator we want to be first-to-market with. "I'm excited for him to bring our one-of-a-kind chicken concept to South Carolina and create legions of new Dave's Hot Chicken fans."
Founded by Arman Oganesyan and chef Dave Kopushyan and two friends in early 2017, Dave's Hot Chicken initially opened as a parking lot pop-up and has over 60 locations open in the United States and Canada.
