Dave’s Hot Chicken, the Los Angeles-based street food sensation turned breakthrough fast-casual brand, announced that it has inked a franchise agreement with restaurant industry entrepreneurs John and Jeff Froccaro to open 14 new restaurants in New York over the next five years. Of the 14 new units, seven will be situated in Queens and another seven units will be located across Long Island’s Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
“John and Jeff bring incredible experience and industry expertise to the table, and we could not be more thrilled to work with them,” says Bill Phelps, CEO of Dave’s Hot Chicken. “Their ambition and knowledge, combined with the support and guidance from Dave’s Hot Chicken is the perfect recipe for success. We are excited to see the growth of the brand in the Queens and Long Island markets, made possible by the Froccaros.”
The two brothers are second-generation restaurant owners who, along with longtime business partner Harry Braunstein, have been in the industry for over 40 years. Their current organization includes 41 Qdoba Mexican Eats and Burger King locations. In addition, over the past decade, a third generation of Froccaro family members have joined the company and are heavily involved in the operation and development of their ever growing restaurant portfolio. As established business owners in the area, the Froccaro family are the perfect leaders to bring Dave’s Hot Chicken to Queens and Long Island.
“When we began our search for a brand to add to our portfolio, we knew that we wanted to be involved with a brand that offered the highest-end product, incredible corporate leadership, and unmatched consumer excitement,” says John Froccaro. “From the early stages of exploring the opportunity with Dave’s Hot Chicken we knew it was exactly what we were looking for. Our team is thrilled to work with Dave’s Hot Chicken and deliver an exceptional restaurant option to our area.”
The Dave’s Hot Chicken model works well in a variety of floor plans. The team is seeking 2,000 to 2,700 square feet endcaps and freestanding locations, with or without drive-thru capacity. Real estate developers should contact Bruce Pollack (Nassau & Suffolk Counties) at bp@fdcrealty.com, and Pascal Spagna (Queens) at pascal@masonam.com, to review available space.
Founded by Arman Oganesyan, classically-trained chef Dave Kopushyan and 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 60 locations open in the United States and Canada. Today, the fast-casual brand has its sights set on growing throughout the United States and currently has more than 700 units committed since announcing the franchise initiative in 2019.
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.
