Dave’s Hot Chicken, Which Started In An East Hollywood Parking Lot, Opens First Chicago Location In North Center

NORTH CENTER — Dave’s Hot Chicken, a Los Angeles phenomenon that got its start in a parking lot before spreading across the country and Canada, is now open in Chicago.

The LA-based chain’s first Chicago location opened Friday at 3643 N. Western Ave. in North Center, just down the block from Lane Tech College Prep.

Dave’s began in East Hollywood in 2017 when owners Arman Oganesyan, Tommy Rubenyan and David Kopushyan began selling their chicken out of a parking lot and posting about it on social media.

After Eater profiled the fledgling business, the attention allowed the owners to aggressively expand and move into their first brick and mortar location in LA, Patel said. Dave’s counts Samuel L. Jackson, Drake and Boston Red Sox Chairman Tom Werner as investors.

The restaurant’s menu has seven different levels of heat for its Nashville-style spicy chicken that ranges from no spice at all to reaper.

The North Center location opened Friday and is the chain’s 30th location across the country, said Raj Patel, president of the Naperville-based Hari Group, which owns the local franchise.

Patel also opened the franchise’s first Midwest location in Naperville earlier this year. 

The restaurant features outdoor seating and about 50 indoor seats, which can be rearranged for large parties or for students who drop by around lunch, Patel said.

“All of the art at the location was done by graffiti artists out of LA that came out here and got a cool little vibe of the area,” Patel said. The murals at the North Center location include references to the Chicago Cubs and Michael Jordan.

“We’ve really wanted to keep the students and the community in mind … everything from the art, the seating and being as digitally advanced as possible with online ordering so people can get in and out quickly,” Patel said.

“And all the chicken is made to order with the spice recipe that Chef Dave created that has received numerous accolades across the country.”

For more information about the new Chicago location and to order online click here. 

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