We Drove 120 Miles to See if Dave’s Hot Chicken Brought the Heat to NJ

Yes, we drove 60 miles (and back) to try a chicken sandwich and see what all the hype was about surrounding the first Garden State location of Dave’s Hot Chicken. Granted, Wayne, New Jersey is a lot closer than the chain’s origins in East Hollywood — and more than 6,700 miles closer than its two locations in Dubai. But it’s a respectable investment in gas and tolls nonetheless for a $14 lunch. 

The chicken sandwich has been having something of a moment for the past few years. Back in 2019, reports of lines around the block made headlines for the return release of Popeye’s chicken sandwich. Competitor Chick-fil-A has since purchased airtime to extoll the many positive attributes of its own fried chicken sandwich in a series of consumer-led TV ads. 

Between January 2019 and December 2020, spending on chicken sandwiches grew by 420 percent, according to e-commerce data company Edison Trends. The internet has gone so far as to create a Wikipedia page for the marketing trend known as “The Great Chicken Wars.” So is there room for more handheld poultry entrants in this segment? 

The rapid success of Dave’s Hot Chicken clucks a resounding “Yes.” 

“A rising tide lifts all boats,” Matt Voda, CEO of OptiMine, a marketing analytics company, said in an article by QSR Magazine.

“If the entire chicken category continues to grow, all of the players stand to do better, or at least maintain market share as consumers switch away from beef toward chicken. And of course, those with a superior product stand to ‘win more.’” 

Founded in Los Angeles in 2017, Dave’s was the quest of Chef Dave Kopushyan to execute the perfect hot chicken recipe. Kopushyan cut his teeth at the Michelin-starred French Laundry, helmed by Thomas Keller, but manifested his own destiny with the help of three friends, $900 and a fryer. The parking lot pop-up went viral and five short years later, Dave’s Hot Chicken was named the nation’s fastest-growing restaurant by Technomic, a third-party research company.

Humble Hollywood origins dictate at least one celebrity cameo, and Dave’s doesn’t disappoint. Fans of the hot chicken include Usher as well as Drake, who is an investor (which might explain the restaurant’s multiple locations in Toronto).  

The Wayne location joins more than 700 units from California to Ontario and beyond North America into the Middle East. It’s an impressive feat and one that makes you wonder what the “special sauce” is behind the success of such a simple — and highly competitive — concept. 

Beyond the taste, the look definitely has something to do with it. Fueling 262% year-over-year sales growth between 2020 and 2021 could be the brand’s social media presence. According to a 2022 press release, Dave’s Hot Chicken has the most Instagram followers per restaurant of any fast casual brand in the country. Currently, the brand’s main account @daveshotchicken has 600 high-gloss photos of fried chicken and 808,000 followers. The chicken joint’s hashtag on TikTok garners tens of millions of views. 

Walking up to Dave’s during our visit, we first notice the graphic that resembles an open-mouthed rubber chicken. It’s an indication that whatever is behind those doors doesn’t take itself too seriously. And we would be correct; a life-size depiction of the chicken as a crossing guard can be found adjacent to the restrooms and neon colors are splashed across the walls.

Each location of Dave’s Hot Chicken — and there are hundreds — employs a graffiti style of artwork, though the murals are individual to each restaurant. This gives the brand’s brick-and-mortar stores the effect of “same, same, but different.” Meaning the vibrant and playful aesthetic achieved in the first NJ franchise is consistent across each location, while the contents of each mural are entirely unique. (Some would say this gives them a highly “Instagrammable” edge.)

At the Wayne location, we found a spray-painted bridge to NYC with the Manhattan skyline in oranges and yellows as well as a cheeky hot pink “Bada Bing,” referencing the fictional NJ-based strip club featured in the HBO series “The Sopranos.”

What stuck out most about our experience ordering at the counter was the simplicity of the menu; no endless offerings or variations to make us go cross-eyed, just plain chicken in tender or slider form. That’s not to say the chicken is plain. Customers can choose from seven levels of heat, from “No Spice” to “Reaper.” We opted for “Medium,” which is the median option.