Dave’s Hot Chicken Opens 500th, Plans More Locations

Dave’s Hot Chicken is rapidly expanding, announcing its 500th restaurant in Phoenix on October 8, less than a decade after launching as a small Los Angeles pop-up. The chain has added about 100 locations since reaching 400 earlier in 2026, including eight openings in a single day in April. New locations are also planned or opening across the Midwest: Grandville, Michigan, opened October 9; St. Cloud, Minnesota, is targeting an October 23 opening; and the company plans a Glendale, Wisconsin, restaurant in a former Arby’s building. The St. Cloud restaurant is part of a Minnesota expansion effort that already includes eight locations, with more planned in Oak Park Heights and Mankato.