Mega-Popular Nashville Hot Chicken Pros Touch Down in Pacific Beach

The overnight success of Dave’s Hot Chicken could have maybe only happened in Los Angeles, where it was born in an East Hollywood parking lot. Spurred by the Nashville Hot Chicken craze, chef Dave Kopushyan and his three best friends launched the eatery as a modest pop-up in early 2017 and the street food vendor became an instant hit; the group opened its first brick and mortar by the end of 2017 and now operates three locations in the Los Angeles area.

Now, the chain is poised to go nationwide, with over 100 locations under contract since it began franchising and a slew of celebrity backers including actor Samuel L. Jackson, former California First Lady Maria Shriver, and Good Morning America anchor/retired NFL player Michael Strahan.

The first Dave’s Hot Chicken outside of Los Angeles is scheduled to grand open this Friday, May 29 at the corner of Garnet Avenue and Cass Street in Pacific Beach. Its San Diego expansion will be overseen by local residents and business partners Lawrence Joseph Kourie and Andrew Feghali, who have extensive experience in the quick-service market and are committed to opening a total of 12 Dave’s Hot Chicken locations in the San Diego area.

Even though Nashville-style hot chicken exists in San Diego, Feghali and Kourie says Dave’s is the “gold standard” of similar fast-casual eateries for its unique store design and honed-in menu, which features chicken tenders and sliders offered in seven different spice levels ranging from No Heat to Reaper, which packs such a spicy punch that it requires a signed waiver.

The 2,000-square-foot Pacific Beach store will be open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. until midnight Friday through Sunday; starting as takeout-only, it will also feature delivery via Postmates, Doordash, Ubereats and Grubhub.

Feghali and Kourie tell Eater that they’re actively looking for more outposts in San Diego and expect to open another Dave’s Hot Chicken location here by the end of 2020.