Dave’s Hot Chicken, the popular chicken chain that has been seizing the taste buds of west coast diners since 2017, is finally planning on expanding into New York this year with a plan to introduce 20 new units to the city.
Founded by best friends Dave Kopushyan, Arman Oganesyan, and Tommy and Gary Rubenyan in 2017, Dave’s Hot Chicken began as a humble food stand in an East Hollywood parking lot. Offering a simple menu of mostly chicken and fries, Dave’s encouraged customers to customize their spice preferences from the tongue-blazing “reaper” level to no spice at all. As news of the chicken stand exploded over social media channels, customers began lining up around the block to get a taste of the increasingly famous chicken. Within a year, Dave and his friends were able to open their first full brick-and-mortar location and have showed no signs of slowing down since then.
Now, Dave’s Hot Chicken is pursuing an aggressive expansion campaign and will be bringing its signature spice to the East Coast within the next year. Inking a franchise agreement with Suhel Ahmed and Saurabh Desi, the deal will see 20 new locations opening up in Manhattan and Brooklyn across the next year.
Bill Phelps, CEO of Dave’s Hot Chicken, said of the deal that “it was a logical choice to make our entrance into The Big Apple and establish our presence in one of the premier markets of the world. The experience of Suhel and Saurabh will be a driving force for our successful entrance into New York, and I have tremendous confidence in them.”
Suhel and Saurabh, meanwhile, are bringing along with them over a decade of experience in the the hospitality industry, having operated multiple Dunkin’ locations throughout New York and North Carolina and have built multiple stores from the ground up. “Dave’s Hot Chicken is special,” Saurabh said, “because their product is so much more differentiated than others in the chicken category. They simply rise above the competition.”
Dave’s Hot Chicken offers a robust business model for franchisees, and offers national and local marketing support with proven systems, manuals, and operating procedures, as well as assistance with site selection. Currently, Suhel and Saurabh are seeking 1,500 to 2,000 square feet endcaps and freestanding locations, with drive-thru infrastructure a plus. Interested real estate developers are encouraged to contact Tom Citron at Colliers at 212-716-3656 to review available space.
