When the first Dave’s Hot Chicken opened in Texas in May 2021, people lined up two hours early, showing just how hot this hot chicken craze has gotten. The brand is spreading like fire, fueled in part by news that rapper Drake is a new investor.
The second Dave’s Hot Chicken in Dallas-Fort Worth opened Friday, Oct. 29, 2021 in Plano.
Dave’s Hot Chicken is up to 30 restaurants open across the United States. That’s quite a jolt since chef Dave Kopushyan started selling hot chicken with a few of his friends in a parking lot in East Hollywood, Calif. Most of Dave’s Hot Chickens are in California for now, but Bill Phelps, co-founder of Wetzel’s Pretzels, has plans to open more than 400 franchised restaurants in the next few years.
The four Armenian friends who started the business are now attending at least one restaurant opening per week for the remainder of the year, with no end in sight.
The new Plano restaurant is at 8315 Preston Road, just south of State Highway 121 in West Plano.
Those lining up are either curious about all the hype or coming back for a bite from a cult-followed fried chicken shop.
Dave’s sells fried chicken tenders in seven spice levels. Beware of the hottest, “reaper”: You have to sign an actual waiver. To order, customers pick just one of three options: Combo 1, 2 or 3, which are a mix of tenders, chicken sliders and fries.
The sliders come with pickles, kale slaw and a mayo-based sauce. Pro tip: Go up a level in spiciness with the slider, because the bread, slaw and sauce cut through the heat. That’s how Kopushyan does it, anyway.
3 more Dave’s Hot Chicken restaurants coming soon
Eventually, Dave’s plans to spread its wings all over North Texas.
Next up is a restaurant at 4608 Bryant Irvin Road in Fort Worth, near Interstate 20, in place of a Schlotzky’s. It’s expected to open in mid-November 2021.
In the first quarter of 2022, the company has two restaurants planned for Dallas-Fort Worth: Another in Plano at 1709 Preston Road (near Park Boulevard); and another in Fort Worth at 3105 Cockrell Ave. (near Texas Christian University).
Dave’s Hot Chicken is at 8215 Preston Road, Plano. It opened Oct. 29, 2021. Hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week. The first Dave’s Hot Chicken in Texas remains, at 14750 Preston Road (between Spring Valley and Belt Line roads), Dallas. It opened May 28, 2021.
Original story written Oct. 26, 2021. Updated on Oct. 29, 2021.
