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- New agreement will bring 31 stores to six countries throughout Arabian Gulf region over next eight years
Dubai, UAE: Coming off a strong 2021 that saw the opening of its first international locations, Dave’s Hot Chicken announced today a new signed deal that will expand its presence outside of North America. The Los Angeles-based Street food sensation turned breakthrough fast-casual brand has inked a franchise agreement with Lavoya, premium restaurants operator led by Walid Hajj, for 31 locations in the GCC including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman, all anticipated to open within the next eight years.
“This is a massive moment in the history of Dave’s Hot Chicken,” said Bill Phelps, CEO of Dave’s Hot Chicken. “Not only have we quickly established ourselves as the go-to for fast casual Hot chicken in North America, but we’ll now be bringing our craveable menu to markets in the Middle East. With an established franchise veteran like Walid Hajj leading the way, I’m confident about the success of the brand in this new region.”
“I am a strong believer in the power of brands and the beauty of simple concepts. Dave’s Hot Chicken is both of these, and I think it’s well on its way to being a major leader in the industry,” said Hajj. “Moreover, the concept and the product are simple and superior, along with the amazing team behind Dave’s Hot Chicken who know exactly how to grow a brand and build a solid business. The Arabian Gulf Shore region is a chicken market that lacks a quality chicken concept, and we’ll bridge that gap with Dave’s Hot Chicken.”
Having been involved in restaurant and franchise operations nearly his entire career, Hajj has earned a reputation of finding and creating innovative food and beverage concepts that disrupt the industry. In 2001 he founded Cravia, a parent company of well-known brands such as Cinnabon, Seattle’s Best Coffee, Five Guys Burgers and Zaatar w Zeit. After building Cravia to over 100 successful locations in four different countries, Cravia sold to a private equity firm in 2016 before Hajj founded Lavoya with Fahad Alhokair in 2020.
“Bringing on an operator with credentials like Walid is a huge milestone in our franchise development efforts. The experience he brings in multi-unit ownership is impeccable and exactly who we want to help make our entrance into a new continent,” said Shannon Swenson, VP of Franchise Development at Dave’s Hot Chicken. “This is an exciting way to kick off 2022 as we continue bringing Dave’s Hot Chicken to people around the world.”
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 33 locations in the United States and Canada. Today, the fast-casual brand has its sights set on growing throughout the United
States and currently has more than 565 units committed since announcing the franchise initiative in 2019.
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.
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About Dave’s Hot Chicken
In a modern-day American dream story, Arman Oganesyan and best friend Chef Dave Kopushyan, along with brothers Tommy and Gary Rubenyan, launched Dave’s Hot Chicken in a parking lot pop-up in 2017. Dave’s Hot Chicken quickly took off, opening its first brick-and-mortar restaurant in East Hollywood. In 2019, the team struck a deal with Wetzel’s Pretzels co-founder and former CEO, Bill Phelps, and movie producer John Davis to begin franchising the Dave’s Hot Chicken concept throughout the U.S. and beyond. The company has sold the rights to over 400 franchise locations in the U.S. and Canada and will open an additional 30 to 40 locations this year. In 2021, Dave’s Hot Chicken was listed as one of the Top 10 hottest brands by Fast Casual on its annual list of industry Movers & Shakers. Harkening back to an Eater LA blog that helped propel early interest in the brand, the company’s mission is to “blow their minds.” Additional brand investors include multiplatinum music artist Drake, former California First Lady Maria Shriver, Red Sox owner Tom Werner, actor Samuel L. Jackson, and Good Morning America anchor and retired NFL player Michael Strahan.
To learn more about Dave’s Hot Chicken and its franchise opportunities, visit www.daveshotchicken.com/franchising.
About Lavoya:
Established with the purpose of significantly transforming dining experiences, Lavoya introduces new and experiential casual dining concepts to reshape the F&B industry in the region. The company’s name and mission, based on their ‘Food For Thought’ slogan, signifies momentum, optimism and positive experiences.
Lavoya was co-founded by Walid Hajj and Fahad Alhokair in 2021. A visionary and award-winning entrepreneur, Walid Hajj has defined his unique imprint in the F&B space creating innovative concepts that have disrupted the industry, establishing his credentials as a pioneer in F&B concepts that integrate advanced technology with exceptional service. Fahad Alhokair is a dynamic and successful Saudi entrepreneur with experience in franchise development, start-ups, operations and investment. He is also the founder of VEDA Holding, a private equity and venture capital firm based in Riyadh that supports more than 15 startups and mature companies in fashion, retail, real-estate and F&B and contributes to their development and innovation by providing value and growth capital. www.lavoya.com
Media contacts:
Yasser Alvi
ASDA’A BCW
yasser.alvi@bcw-global.com
© Press Release 2022
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