How Dave’s Hot Chicken became the next big thing

What is the story behind Dave’s Hot Chicken?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features two people behind one of the hottest chains in the country: Bill Phelps, Dave’s CEO, and Arman Oganesyan, one of the company’s cofounders.

Dave’s is the fastest-growing restaurant chain in the U.S. right now. The chain, which sells a menu of spicy chicken tenders or sandwiches, was started out of a California parking lot in 2017. It went from seven locations in 2020 to more than 100 now, with deals for another 750 and locations coast to coast.

Bill and Arman tell the story of the chain and its growth. They also talk about the strategies to avoid the pitfalls of overly fast growth, something that has caused problems at many concepts over the years. But they also talk about the secret behind the brand’s seemingly overnight success.

It is a fun look at one of the most interesting restaurant chains in the country today so please have a listen.