Dave’s Hot Chicken, the Los Angeles-based street food sensation turned breakthrough fast-casual brand, announced today that it has locked-in a multi-unit franchise agreement for both North and South Dakota. The six locations will be owned and operated by Dusty Jensen and Myron Thompson, reaching communities in various cities throughout the region.
“Bringing Dave’s to my home market has been a goal of mine ever since I tried the delicious Nashville-style chicken for the first time,” said Jensen. “As a Dakota local, I look forward to spearheading these new openings as well as working closely with the day-to-day operations. I am confident that my community will embrace the concept as much as I have.”
Dusty Jensen, a seasoned restaurant operator, has a successful track record operating 22 Applebee's and 15 Noodles & Company restaurants. He brings a wealth of experience to the franchise and his passion for Dave's Hot Chicken is fueled by a genuine love for the food, having enjoyed it at several locations across the US. Jensen is a dynamic franchise partner, actively involved in operations, with plans to oversee the first locations’ site selections a few miles from his local residence in Fargo, North Dakota.
“Partnering with Dusty is a crucial step in expanding our brand’s presence in dynamic markets across the country and we are eager to see the local community respond positively,” said Bill Phelps, CEO of Dave's Hot Chicken. “We are eager to become an integral part of the Dakotas ever-evolving food community as we diversify the culinary landscape with the bold flavors of Dave’s Hot Chicken.”
Founded by Arman Oganesyan and classically trained chef Dave Kopushyan, along with brothers, Tommy, and Gary Rubenyan in early 2017, Dave’s Hot Chicken initially opened as a parking lot pop-up, with lines quickly wrapping around the block. Since then, the brand has exploded in popularity and now has over 160 locations in the United States and Canada.
Specializing in hot chicken tenders and sliders, with spice levels ranging from “No Spice” to “Reaper,” each restaurant also serves sides of house-made Kale Slaw, creamy Mac & Cheese and crispy Fries or Cheese Fries.
Dave’s Hot Chicken offers a robust business model, including national and local marketing support, proven systems, manuals, and operating procedures, as well as assistance with site selection. As the brand expands, it is seeking qualified, experienced, and passionate restaurant operators and franchise groups to develop the concept in key markets such as Florida, Tennessee, Louisiana, Pittsburgh, Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, and Mississippi.
To learn more about Dave’s Hot Chicken and its franchise opportunities, visit www.daveshotchicken.com/franchising.
About Dave’s Hot Chicken
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, and movie producer John Davis to begin franchising the Dave’s Hot Chicken concept throughout the U.S. and beyond. The company has sold the rights to more than 700 franchise locations in the U.S., Middle East and Canada and will open 70-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.” Additional brand investors include Billboard’s Artist of the Decade, Drake, former California First Lady Maria Shriver, actor Samuel L. Jackson, and Good Morning America anchor and retired NFL player Michael Strahan.
