Fried Chicken News
L.A. hot fried chicken concept glides into Texas with Dallas debut
UPDATE 5/28/2021: Dave's celebrates the grand opening of its first Dallas location on May 28. It's open from 11 am-11 pm daily.
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UPDATE 12/14/2020: Dave's has signed a lease for its first Dallas location, at 14750 Preston Rd., in a former Boston Market, which closed in 2019.
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A hot fried chicken concept that started as a parking lot pop-up in East Hollywood has its sights set on Dallas-Fort Worth: Dave's Hot Chicken, the Los Angeles-based pop-up specializing in Nashville hot chicken, is making its Texas debut in 2020.
Dave's was founded by classically-trained chef Dave Kopushyan and three friends in 2017. They specialize in hot chicken tenders and sliders, with spice levels ranging from "No Spice" to "Reaper."
They also serve sides including kale slaw, mac & cheese, crispy fries, and cheese fries.
A release says they've earned a cult following, with customers forming lines. Lines are always a sign something must be good.
Dave's is expanding into Texas thanks to a pair of Dallas restaurateurs, David Futrell and Ernest Crawford. The duo has yet to sign a lease, but they're scouting locations in Dallas County. They already own a few locations of Fuddruckers, so they have a track record of getting things done.
Futrell first discovered Dave's Hot Chicken when he visited their first brick-and-mortar location. It was on a Tuesday night, and yet there was a line around the block at 9 pm. Lines are always a sign something must be good.
"The chicken is so good that I waited in that line again for seconds," Futrell says. "After my first bite of one of their chicken tenders, I just knew that people in DFW would love it."
Childhood best friends, Futrell and Crawford have been partners since the '90s when they owned Schlotzsky's locations in El Paso and Albuquerque. They also own and operate a catering company called Daltex Catering.
