WORCESTER — A growing Nashville-style hot chicken chain restaurant — with rapper Drake among its backers — has plans to open at the Trolley Yard mixed-use development between Grove Street and Park Avenue.
Dave's Hot Chicken, a chain founded in East Hollywood, California, that has expanded to over 230 restaurants with the help of celebrity investors, was approved for a common victualer license to serve food Thursday.
According to a July news release from the company, Dave's Hot Chicken's investors include Drake, actor Samuel L. Jackson and R&B singer Usher.
More: Usher has got it bad for Dave's Hot Chicken. He joins Drake as newest celebrity investor
According to the License Commission agenda, the business will be at 41 Park Ave., in space at the Trolley Yard , a retail area that includes Starbucks, Chipotle, Island Fin Poké Co. and Hot Table. The plaza is owned by Galaxy Development.
The chain's website lists nine current Massachusetts locations: two in Boston, one in Framingham, one in Newton, one in Medford, one in Newton, one in Saugus, one in Woburn and one in Chelmsford.
According to the agenda, the restaurant's hours will be Sunday to Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to midnight.
Nashville hot chicken is a style of fried chicken that has been seasoned with a wet blend and covered with a cayenne pepper-based sauce or paste. The style of chicken has achieved national recognition in recent years and has become a favorite of foodies with several restaurants offering their takes.
Dave's Hot Chicken manager Johnny Stefanidis was straight to the point about what the restaurant would offer during the License Commission hearing.
"No alcohol, live music, no dance — just straight chicken, fried chicken, French fries and shakes," Stefanidis said.
Commissioner Charran Fisher welcomed the restaurant, saying she did not believe there was another hot chicken place in Worcester.
An opening date for the restaurant was not immediately shared during the hearing.
Dave's Hot Chicken was founded in 2017 as a pop-up spot in East Hollywood. The founders include Dave Kopushyan, the restaurant's namesake, Arman Oganesyan and Tommy Rubenyan. The pop-up established a brick-and-mortar location in East Hollywood and partnered with Wetzel’s Pretzels co-founder and former CEO Bill Phelps to begin franchising.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Chicken restaurant with Drake and Usher among investors gets license to open in Worcester
Most Popular
Comments / 0