Restaurants & Bars

Dave’s Hot Chicken Opens 1st San Gabriel Valley Location

For those who like it hot, the SoCal chain requires a signed waiver for its "Reaper"-level, spicy chicken.

Dave’s Hot Chicken opens Aug. 6, 2021 at 3642 Rosemead Blvd., Rosemead, CA.
Dave’s Hot Chicken opens Aug. 6, 2021 at 3642 Rosemead Blvd., Rosemead, CA. (Courtesy of Dave’s Hot Chicken)

ROSEMEAD, CA — Dave’s Hot Chicken, a fast-growing, SoCal chain renown for its "No Spice" to "Reaper" heat-level chicken, is opening of its new Rosemead restaurant — marking its first San Gabriel Valley locale.

Founded in 2017 as a Hollywood-area, pop-up by two friends and two brothers — equipped with a portable fryer and picnic tables — Dave's Hot Chicken now has locations throughout Greater Los Angeles with a growing following for its sliding-scale of sauced-up tenders and sliders.

The location will open Friday at 3642 Rosemead Blvd., with daily hours from 10 a.m. to midnight.

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“Dave’s Hot Chicken will blow your mind,” said Bill Phelps, Dave’s Hot Chicken’s CEO. “We are ecstatic to be opening our first restaurant in Rosemead!"

The "fast-casual concept" specializes in chicken tenders and sliders, with such sides as house-made kale slaw, mac n’ cheese and French fries. Its signature, stand-out: seven various spice levels, ranging from "No Spice" to "Reaper" — the over-the-top level that requires a signed waiver, for those who dare.

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The new Rosemead location, with a bold interior and custom graphics, fits the company’s growth goals. In addition to its Southern California sites, Dave's Hot Chicken has locations in Colorado, Oregon and Canada, with expansion plans that include Las Vegas and Texas, the company said.

In 2019, Dave's Hot Chicken struck a deal with Wetzel’s Pretzels and movie producer John Davis to further its franchising, with rights now sold to nearly 300 locations in the U.S. and Canada, plus plans for 30 new locations this year. Brand investors include former California First Lady Maria Shriver, Red Sox owner Tom Werner, actor Samuel L. Jackson and Good Morning America anchor Michael Strahan, management said.

Follow along here for Dave's Hot Chicken menu. Go here for updates on the Rosemead eatery and other locations, or here to follow the business on Facebook.

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