Franchising

Dave's signs New Jersey deal

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June 16, 2022

Dave's Hot Chicken, a Los Angeles-based street food concept, has inked a franchise agreement with Noraiz Khan and Kashif Khan to open nine locations throughout Central New Jersey.

"Partnering with experienced operators with deep community ties like Noraiz, Kashif and Jamil will be key to success in the area," Bill Phelps, CEO of Dave's Hot Chicken, said in a company press release. "I'm thrilled bring Dave's Hot Chicken to even more new customers throughout the East Coast."

The team is seeking 2,000- to 2,700-square-foot endcaps and freestanding locations, with or without drive-thru capacity.

"The hot chicken category has tremendous growth potential and is a logical choice as we seek to expand our portfolio. After doing our due diligence, Dave's Hot Chicken was the clear front-runner," Noraiz Khan said in the release. "The simplicity of the brand's operations, along with the passionate and experienced leadership team, booming fan following and delicious food was extremely attractive and made the choice to invest a no brainer. Our team is eager to grow Dave's Hot Chicken in Central New Jersey."

Prior to joining Dave's Hot Chicken, the group has owned and operated several Moe's Southwest Grill locations throughout New Jersey and New York.

Founded by Arman Oganesyan and classically-trained chef Dave Kopushyan and two friends in early 2017, Dave's Hot Chicken initially opened as a parking lot pop-up, with lines quickly wrapping around the block. Since then, the brand has exploded in popularity and now has over 60 locations open in the United States and Canada. Today, the fast-casual brand has its sights set on growing throughout the United States and currently has more than 700 units committed since announcing the franchise initiative in 2019.

Dave's Hot Chicken has sold the rights to over 599 franchise locations in the U.S. and Canada and will open 75 locations this year.