Leading UK Restaurant Operator to Add Hot Chicken Fast Casual Category Leader to its Impressive Restaurant Portfolio
Dave’s Hot Chicken, the scrappy late-night pop-up turned hot chicken sensation, today announced that UK & Ireland residents will soon have the chance to enjoy some of the best hot chicken on the planet. Dave’s Hot Chicken has signed an agreement with Azzurri Group to open 60 locations, with the first location planned to open in London by Q1 2025.
Azzurri Group is one of the UK’s largest and most successful hospitality investment platforms. The Group operates two leading national Italian full-service brands, Zizzi and ASK Italian, the UK’s leading quick-service Italian, Coco di Mama and renowned Irish fast casual Mexican restaurant brand Boojum. Azzurri employs nearly 6,000 people, serving over 15 million meals annually across its portfolio of more than 230 restaurants and stores.
“When we first tried Dave’s Hot Chicken we were blown away as it makes some of the most craveable and delicious food we’ve ever had” said Steve Holmes, CEO of Azzurri Group. “We’re excited to bring this incredible brand to the UK and to be their partner in this ambitious roll-out.”
“We know there is an opportunity to make Dave’s Hot Chicken one of the iconic restaurant brands, and we do that by partnering with incredible operators, like Azzurri Group,” said Bill Phelps, CEO of Dave’s Hot Chicken. “The flavor of Dave’s Hot Chicken resonates across borders, and we’re looking forward to the first UK store getting open soon.”
Dave’s Hot Chicken is one of the fastest growing restaurant brands in US history, and is a social media sensation with 2.4m TikTok followers and 1.2m followers on Instagram, supported by market-leading Google customer reviews. The brand has broad consumer appeal with the core customer base being Gen Z and Millennial males. Dave’s Hot Chicken specializes in jumbo Hot Chicken Sliders, Tenders and Bites, along with sides of house-made Kale Slaw, creamy Mac & Cheese and crispy, seasoned French Fries. Offered at seven spice levels ranging from No Spice to Reaper (which requires a signed waiver for those who dare), each piece of juicy, hand-breaded chicken is spiced-to-order. In early 2024, the company also introduced Dave’s NOT Chicken, the brand’s take on hot, juicy and crispy Cauliflower Sliders and Cauliflower Bites.
Each store is popping with eye-catching colour and energy, with exclusively designed LA-based street art reflecting the connection with the parking lot where the brand began.
In a modern-day American dream story, three childhood friends, Chef Dave Kopushyan, Arman Oganesyan and Tommy Rubenyan, scraped together $900 to launch Dave’s Hot Chicken in a parking lot, portable fryers and folding tables in tow, in 2017. Dave’s Hot Chicken quickly took off, opening an East Hollywood brick-and-mortar restaurant shortly after, with support from Tommy’s brother, Gary. In 2019, the team struck a deal with Wetzel’s Pretzels co-founder and former CEO, Bill Phelps, to begin franchising the Dave’s Hot Chicken concept, with Billboard’s Artist of the Decade, Drake, investing in the brand as well alongside other celebrities including Samuel L. Jackson and Usher. With over 200 restaurants now open, the company has sold the rights to more than 700 franchise locations in the U.S., Middle East and Canada and will open 90-plus locations this year. Harkening back to an Eater LA blog that helped propel early interest in the brand, the company’s mission is to “blow their minds.”
Azzurri Group is one of the UK’s largest and most successful hospitality investment platforms. We operate two leading national Italian full-service brands, Zizzi and ASK Italian, the UK’s leading quick-service Italian, Coco di Mama and renowned Irish fast casual Mexican restaurant brand Boojum. Azzurri employs nearly 6,000 people, serving over 15 million meals annually in our growing estate of over 230 restaurants and stores. Across all of our brands we focus on what really matters to our customers – a memorable experience, high-quality food, great people, and beautifully designed restaurants and stores. The service is personal, the food delicious and the whole experience leaves you wanting more.
- More from Dave’s Hot Chicken
