Franchising

Dave’s Hot Chicken signs 10-unit Texas deal

Provided

July 9, 2021

Dave's Hot Chicken, a Los Angeles-based street food brand, is bringing 10 brick-and-mortar locations to select markets along the I-35 Corridor in Texas, including Austin, New Braunfels, San Marcos and Waco, according to a company press release.

The Texas-based franchisees and friends behind the deal include Drew Wilson, Joe Dickerson, Craig Smith and Casey Klajbor, who bring extensive experience from a variety of backgrounds.

Smith and Klajbor, for example, own and operate multiple Rockin' Jump Trampoline parks and are both veterans, with Smith serving in the Air Force and Klajbor in the Marine Corps. Wilson was the founder and former CEO of Rockin' Jump, leaving to start a finance company.

Dickerson is an entrepreneur and investor with operational experience in the restaurant space as well as an adjunct professor in the Department of Entrepreneurship at the Texas Christian University Neeley School of Business.

"Drew, Joe, Craig and Casey bring a lot of great credentials with them to Dave's Hot Chicken," Dave's Hot Chicken Bill Phelps said in the release. 'The enthusiasm they have for the brand is palpable, too. "Their experience and enthusiasm will be vital as we grow our presence in Texas."

The Dave's Hot Chicken model works well in a variety of floor plans, according to Wilson, who said he was seeking 2,000- to 2,500-square-foot endcaps and freestanding locations for the Texas stores. Areas with patios and drive-thru infrastructure are a plus.

"I fell in love with the Dave's Hot Chicken brand, and after the first bite of the slider, I was hooked," Wilson said. "Each restaurant is outfitted with a hip vibe and unique feel that is representative of the community it is located in, and I was deeply drawn to that because it shows that no two stores are the same."

Founded by classically-trained chef Dave Kopushyan and three friends in early 2017, Dave's Hot Chicken initially opened as a parking lot pop-up but now has multiple brick-and-mortar locations open in Southern California. Hoping to expand throughout the United States through franchising, the chain has several multi-unit agreements in development, according to the release.