Celebrity-backed Dave's Hot Chicken restaurant chain coming to Palm Beach and Martin counties

Liz Balmaseda, Palm Beach Post
·3 min read
Dave's Hot Chicken restaurants specialize in Nashville-inspired spicy tenders and sliders.
Dave's Hot Chicken restaurants specialize in Nashville-inspired spicy tenders and sliders.

Fans of seriously spicy chicken can look forward to tenders so hot you have to sign a waiver before attempting the most scorching level of heat.

Dave’s Hot Chicken, a celebrity-backed, Nashville-inspired chain that boasts seven spice levels – including the fearsome Reaper level – is coming to Palm Beach and Martin counties.

Local franchisees for the Los Angeles-born chain expect to open seven locations over the next three years, according to one of the partners.

The first of the fast-casual restaurants will likely open in West Palm Beach or Palm Beach Gardens, said franchise partner Blair Bitove. That location is expected to debut by the end of the year or early 2023, she said.

The Los Angeles-founded Dave's Hot Chicken restaurant chain has locations across the United States, including this one in Lakewood, Ohio.
The Los Angeles-founded Dave's Hot Chicken restaurant chain has locations across the United States, including this one in Lakewood, Ohio.

Dave's Hot Chicken celebrity investors include Drake, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Strahan

The spicy chicken-tender chain has its roots in East Hollywood, where it started as a parking lot pop-up in 2017. It quickly gained a loyal following – and later celebrity investors that include Drake, Samuel L. Jackson, Maria Shriver, Michael Strahan and others.

Prix-fixe season: Flavor Palm Beach, Palm Beaches Restaurant Month coming up

Best fried chicken in Florida: Food Network says it's at West Palm restaurant

Bitove says she became a Dave’s fan while she was a student at the University of Southern California.

Who is the owner of Dave's Hot Chicken?

“I love fried chicken and I love spiciness, but it was so unique that it was craveable,” said Bitove, who credits the brand’s founding chef Dave Kopushyan, trained at Thomas Keller’s prestigious French Laundry restaurant in Yountville, for achieving the hot chicken’s “elevated” flavors.

A Toronto native who grew up in Jupiter, Bitove raved about the concept to her businessman dad John Bitove, founder of the Toronto Raptors.

“The food speaks for itself. It’s a simple operation. We thought it would be a great idea to bring to Canada,” she says. In 2020, her father’s company signed a deal to bring 30 Dave’s locations to Canada.

Hungry for more restaurant news?

Here's how to stay up-to-date with your local dining scene: follow our food & dining writer, Liz Balmaseda on Twitter @LizBalmaseda, Instagram at @silkpalm or sign up for our free weekly foodie newsletter, At the Table.

Offering seven levels of optional spiciness, Dave's Hot Chicken's menu focuses on tenders and sliders.
Offering seven levels of optional spiciness, Dave's Hot Chicken's menu focuses on tenders and sliders.

Bringing Dave’s to Florida was a natural progression for her family, since the Jupiter area has been their home away from Toronto for years, she says. She partnered with two industry veterans, Rob Shawger and Matt Abdoo, to make the local franchise deal a reality.

“Once we got the chance to try the food to see what all the hype was about and meet with their team, we were instantly sold,” Abdoo said in a news release.

Abdoo is also executive chef and partner for New York’s Pig Beach barbecue restaurants, a concept opening June 30 on South Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach. Shawger is a Pig Beach partner as well. That brand is unrelated to Dave’s.

To find a Dave's Hot Chicken location, visit DavesHotChicken.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Daves Hot Chicken restaurant in Florida backed by Drake, other stars