Operations

Dave’s Hot Chicken hits 500 restaurants, adds 100 units in 6 months

Photo: Dave's

October 9, 2026

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Dave's Hot Chicken opened its 500th restaurant Thursday in Phoenix, marking a milestone for the fast-casual chain that has added about 100 locations since reaching 400 units earlier this year.

The milestone underscores the brand's rapid expansion as it grows its U.S. footprint and pursues development opportunities across Europe, Canada and the Middle East.

The chain also opened eight restaurants in a single day in April, spanning markets from Connecticut to Utah, according to the company.

"Reaching 500 restaurants is an incredible milestone, especially when you consider where Dave's started and how quickly the brand has grown," CEO Jim Bitticks said in a company press release. "That growth reflects the strength of our franchise partners, our operating model and the teams supporting these restaurants every day."

Founded in 2017 by childhood friends Arman Oganesyan, Dave Kopushyan, Tommy Rubenyan and Gary Rubenyan, the brand began as a parking lot pop-up in East Hollywood, California. The founders launched the concept with $900, portable fryers and folding tables before opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant.

In 2019, the founders partnered with Wetzel's Pretzels co-founder Bill Phelps and film producer John Davis to franchise the concept.

Dave's Hot Chicken has since expanded into major U.S. markets, including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, as well as airport locations. Internationally, the chain operates in Canada and the Middle East and has entered the U.K. with a flagship restaurant on London's Shaftesbury Avenue.

The brand has secured a 60-restaurant development agreement covering the U.K. and Ireland. It also expanded its partnership with Azzurri Group through an additional agreement for 180 restaurants across 10 European countries, including France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Portugal and the Netherlands.

The company said it has sold development rights for more than 1,592 locations worldwide, reflecting its ambitions to expand beyond its current footprint.

"When Dave, Tommy and I started this, we weren't thinking about hundreds of restaurants," Oganesyan said in the release. "We were focused on making the best hot chicken we could and getting people to try it."

As it continues expanding, Dave's Hot Chicken is seeking experienced franchise operators and groups to develop the brand in markets including Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico.

The brand topped FastCasual's Top 100 in 2024 and 2025 and landed in the Top 5 in 2026.