Dave’s Hot Chicken announced it has inked a franchise agreement with Jiger Patel and Pranav Desai to open a minimum of eight locations throughout the Philadelphia area and surrounding counties.
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 Brandon Anapol and Shane Hart from Metro Commercial at BAnapol@metrocommercial.com and shart@metrocommercial.com to review available space.
“We wanted to add a chicken concept to our portfolio, and after due diligence, we knew Dave’s was the perfect brand for us to grow with. They have a clear vision for the future and ‘wow’ factor not found anywhere else,” said Patel. “The simplicity of the brand’s operations, unparalleled flavor profile and experienced corporate team have already generated a lot of hype and success for them, and I know we’ll be able to translate that to Philadelphia once our restaurants open.”
Patel and Desai already have years of experience as multi-unit restaurant operators, owning several Qdoba, Checkers and The Green Turtle locations throughout New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Florida.
“We’re really starting to make our presence known along the East Coast, and Philadelphia was a key market for us to enter to continue establishing Dave’s throughout the region,” says Shannon Swenson, VP of Franchise Development at Dave’s Hot Chicken. “With their extensive multi-unit ownership experience, Jiger and Pranav are an excellent fit for our brand and exactly who we want to bring us to a new market.”
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.
