Dave's Hot Chicken
🏢National Chain
Dave's Hot Chicken launched in 2017 as a $900 pop-up in a Los Angeles parking lot, founded by French Laundry-trained chef Dave Kopushyan and three childhood friends with just a portable fryer and a single menu item. The chain built its reputation on Nashville-style hot chicken tenders and sliders available at seven spice levels, from No Spice to Reaper. Backed by celebrity investors including Samuel L. Jackson and Drake, the brand grew to over 280 locations globally before being acquired by Roark Capital in 2025 at a $1 billion valuation.
