Dave’s Hot Chicken is expanding and is set to open a location in Long Beach/Lakewood by the end of 2020.
Dave’s Hot Chicken, the Los Angeles-based street food sensation turned breakthrough fast-casual brand, announced today it has inked a franchise agreement with the Wesselink family of Elevated Restaurant Group to open 10 locations throughout Orange County, South Los Angeles, and the South Bay region.
As part of the deal, the Wesselinks will look to grow the Nashville Hot Chicken concept throughout the Los Angeles area. The Wesselinks’ team will focus on adding locations in nearby cities, including Long Beach, Torrance, Anaheim, and Downey.
“My first bite of a chicken tender from Dave’s Hot Chicken told me that they’re doing something special,” said Clinton Wesselink, who oversees restaurant operations for Elevated Restaurant Group. “The quality and flavor profile of the chicken is unlike anything else I’ve ever had. After meeting with their leadership team, we knew that the opportunity to invest was too good to pass up. Our team is excited to continue growing Dave’s Hot Chicken throughout Southern California.”
Elevated Restaurant Group, a subsidiary of Coast to Coast Commercial, is an Orange County-based, family-run investment group owned by Clinton, Devon and Richard Wesselink. For the last 30 years, the Wesselink family has been involved in the development of restaurants and commercial retail sites throughout Southern California, including numerous Sonic Drive-In and Jack in the Box locations.
“We are so excited to grow the Dave’s Hot Chicken brand alongside a group so well aligned with our company’s goals and culture. Being a multi-generational, family-owned business, Elevated Restaurant Group has high integrity and strong operational standards,” said Shannon Swenson, Vice President of Franchise Development at Dave’s Hot Chicken. “Our team is very confident that they will be great franchise owners to build the brand’s presence in Orange County and South Bay.”
Founded by classically-trained chef Dave Kopushyan and three friends 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 multiple brick-and-mortar locations open in Southern California. Today, the fast-casual brand has its sights set on growing throughout the United States through franchising and has several multi-unit agreements in development.
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.
To learn more about Dave’s Hot Chicken and its franchise opportunities, visit https://www.daveshotchicken.com/franchising.
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