Dave's Hot Chicken

LA Hot Chicken and New York Wings Land in the Twin Cities | Eater Twin Cities

"Opened on St. Paul’s Ford Parkway, this Los Angeles–based chain — franchised locally by former NBA player Kris Humphries — has exploded from a 2017 late-night chicken stand into a prolific national brand with more than 50 locations in California and hundreds across the U.S. and Canada; the Humphries family plans to bring 16 total locations to Minnesota. The founders (David Kopushyan, Arman Oganesyan, and Tommy Rubenyan) began with a very simple menu of chicken tenders served with white bread, kale coleslaw, curly fries, and sweet tea, and the chain grew rapidly (from two locations in 2020 to more than 700 in development by 2023) by leaning on franchisees. I went to the March 15 launch — there was a DJ playing outside, it was packed, and I waited about five minutes to order the #3 combo (one tender and one slider with fries; I opted for cheese on the fries). The chicken I had was very good: juicy with a buttermilk tang, crackly breading with a hint of sweetness beneath the cayenne, and a note that reminded me of Old Bay; I ordered the medium (my usual), which was surprisingly tame, so plan to go hotter if you want real heat (the Reaper level requires signing a waiver). The arrival of Dave’s also rekindles wider questions about the commercialization of Nashville hot chicken, a dish with deep roots in Nashville’s Black neighborhoods." - Justine Jones