The Fast Food Chain That Started With $900 And A Parking Lot

In the last few years, one of the biggest trends in fast food has been the explosive popularity of Nashville-style hot chicken far outside its hometown. According to CNBC, Nashville hot chicken menu mentions saw a whopping 65.7% increase between 2018 and 2023, and the fad shows no sign of slowing down. Around the country, restaurants from the dish's originator (Prince's Hot Chicken) to major chains like KFC serve their version to customers craving a hit of greasy, spicy goodness. But despite not being from Nashville and opening decades after the food's invention, one chain has come to represent it most ubiquitously: Dave's Hot Chicken.

With over 300 locations across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Middle East, plus a veritable red carpet's worth of celebrity backers, it's safe to say that Dave's Hot Chicken is one of the most impressive rising stars of the fast food world. But the chain didn't start so flashily. Back in 2017, it was born in a parking lot in East Hollywood, California — continuing the lineage of fast food juggernauts coming out of Southern California — by four long-time friends with a passion for poultry. The crew, which included trained chef and restaurant namesake Dave Kopushyan, pooled $900 to put together a humble pop-up that included only a tent, folding chairs, a portable fryer, and Kopushyan's dynamite hot chicken recipe. Thanks to buzz from social media and local food critics, the stand became a hit, and the team opened their first brick-and-mortar location within only a few months and began rapid expansion.

Things have certainly changed for Dave's Hot Chicken since the days when its founders were personally slinging combo plates for blocks-long lines in an East Hollywood parking lot. In 2022, Restaurant News named the chain the "fastest-growing restaurant in America," due to its exponential sales growth, massive social media following, and high number of locations in development. After the brand established its first storefront, veteran fast food CEO Bill Phelps (of Wetzel's Pretzels) came on board as CEO, and along with a slew of entertainment industry investors, began franchising it.

But it looks like the company isn't satisfied with peddling hot chicken sliders and gourmet mac and cheese at its current scale anymore. In June 2025, it was announced that Dave's Hot Chicken was acquired in a $1 billion deal by private equity firm Roark Capital, which also owns Subway and Inspire Brands, the parent company of national chains like Arby's, Dunkin', and Buffalo Wild Wings. In an interview with Restaurant Business Magazine, company president Jim Bitticks said, "The goal is to keep it growing ... You'll see us popping up everywhere," especially internationally. Some fans of the restaurant are concerned by the announcement, as the involvement of private equity firms has been known to lead to over-expansion and a decline in quality. But Bitticks assures that the company's leadership structure is staying intact, and hopefully, so does its spicy recipe for success.