Fried Chicken News
Dave's Hot Chicken from L.A. brings it Nashville-style to Fort Worth
Fort Worth is in line for Nashville hot chicken from a chain based in Los Angeles: Dave's Hot Chicken, which began as a street food sensation before transforming into a fast-casual chain, will open a location in southwest Fort Worth at 820 and Bryant Irvin Road.
The address is 4608 Bryant Irvin Rd. #430, in the Cityview Shopping Center, near Spec's and Razzoo's Cafe.
This is the second Dave's location to be announced for Dallas-Fort Worth, following the first in Dallas, which is opening in a former Boston Market at 14750 Preston Rd. that's slated to open in the spring. Dave's is about to blow up in DFW: There are three franchise groups involved, one focused primarily on Dallas, a second on Collin County, and this one targeting Fort Worth, with at least a dozen locations rolling out in the next two years.
According to a spokesman from the shopping center, Dave's will take over a former Schlotsky's, which was in that location for more than 20 years but closed during the pandemic. The space has only recently changed hands and renovations have just begun, but the restaurant is anticipated to open in early summer.
Dave's specializes in hot chicken tenders and sliders, plus sides such as kale slaw, mac & cheese, crispy fries, and cheese fries.
The concept was founded by classically-trained chef Dave Kopushyan and three friends in 2017 — the early days of the Nashville hot chicken trend — who initially started out doing a parking lot pop-up. The concept took off immediately, and they've since expanded into multiple brick-and-mortar locations in Southern California.
In 2019, the founders partnered with restaurant veteran Bill Phelps, former co-founder and CEO of Wetzel’s Pretzels and a partner in Blaze Pizza. They've since set their sights on growing throughout the U.S. and have numerous Daves in the works.
