LA-Based Chain Dave’s Hot Chicken Sets Its Sights on East Atlanta

Dave’s Hot Chicken, the LA-based Nashville-style hot chicken chain with celebrity investors like rapper Drake and actor Samuel L. Jackson, is headed to Atlanta. And it looks like franchisees Deryl Pangelinan, Tim Velleca, Andrew Feghali, and Lawrence Kourie are targeting East Atlanta for eight new locations, with a ninth location in Athens.

Just where and when these locations will open have yet to be determined.

Founded in an East Hollywood parking lot in 2017 by Arman Oganesyan, Tommy and Gary Rubenyan, and chef Dave Kopushyan, Dave’s is known for hot chicken that’s brined then fried and available in seven levels of heat. (Think no spice at all to red hot “reaper”.) Sides include kale slaw, mac and cheese, crispy crinkle fries, and cheese fries.

More than 120 locations of Dave’s Hot Chicken are now open across the country and in Canada, with Maria Shriver, Red Sox owner Tom Werner, and “Good Morning America” anchor and retired NFL player Michael Strahan counted among its growing collection of celebrity investors.

Atlanta is no stranger to the Nashville-style hot chicken craze, with restaurants like Java Saga, Hattie B’s Hot Chicken, and Scoville Hot Chicken dedicating entire menus to sandwiches and platters of spicy yardbird. Hot chicken specials can often be found at other Atlanta restaurants, too, including Argosy and the Flatiron in East Atlanta Village and Southbound in Chamblee.