Dave’s Hot Chicken® to Open 60 Restaurants Across the United Kingdom & Ireland; Partners with Best-in-Class Operator Azzurri Group
2024年7月9日 - 1:00AM
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.
About Dave’s Hot ChickenIn 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.”
About The Azzurri
GroupAzzurri 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.
Media ContactJoshua
LevittPR for Dave’s Hot Chickenjosh@fikacollective.com
Ben FosterPR for Azzurri
Groupben.foster@powerscourt-group.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ebfa5c3e-3b87-4428-a7cb-108794c7f315