Dave's Hot Chicken opening 8 locations in these 8 states. See where

USA TODAY

April 16, 2026, 12:36 p.m. ET

California-based chicken joint Dave’s Hot Chicken is expanding, opening eight locations on Friday, April 17, and at least 150 locations throughout the year.

The latest Dave’s Hot Chicken locations will be open for business beginning on April 17, Dave’s said in a series of Facebook posts. This week’s openings include restaurants in eight states, including Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina and Utah.

The company also has openings planned in cities such as Kansas City, Missouri, Oklahoma City and Seattle, Dave’s Hot Chicken CEO Jim Bitticks said in a statement to USA TODAY on April 16.

A Dave's Hot Chicken location on Ross Avenue in Dallas, Texas, which opened on Friday, April 10, 2026.

"At its core, nothing about Dave’s has changed, and that’s very intentional," Bitticks said. "Our entire focus is still on making the best-tasting hot chicken on the planet. That obsession with flavor, quality, and craveability is what got us here, and it continues to guide every decision we make as we grow."In March, the company added a new offering to its menu – the Hot Mozz, or thick-cut mozzarella that’s breaded and fried, then dusted with the customer’s choice of Dave’s seven signature spices.

Where will the new locations open this week at Dave’s Hot Chicken?

Dave's Hot Chicken has been announcing openings on the company's official Facebook page, typically for Fridays. Openings over the past few months have included a Medford, Oregon location on Jan. 23, and recently, a Dallas location on April 10.

Per Dave’s Hot Chicken’s Facebook account, new locations opening on Friday, April 17, include:

What about the other locations opening in 2026?

Bitticks said the company has plans to open more than 150 locations by the end of 2026, including the first-ever Dave’s Hot Chicken in Ireland.

In addition to the eight openings on April 17, more locations are slated to open in April, May or June. Here’s a tentative breakdown per month of where the openings will be for the rest of the year:

April openings:

Miami

May openings:

Scottsdale, Arizona
Ontario, Canada
Newcastle, United Kingdom

June openings:

Kansas City, Missouri
Portland, Oregon
Dublin, Ireland
London, United Kingdom

A decorative wall inside of Dave's Hot Chicken on Ross Avenue in Dallas, Texas. The Ross Avenue location opened on Friday, April 10, 2026.

July openings:

Liverpool, United Kingdom

August openings:

Phoenix
Salt Lake City
Oklahoma City
Seattle
Los Angeles

September openings:

Wichita, Kansas

October openings:

Boise, Idaho

November openings:

Amarillo, Texas

December openings:

Charlotte, North Carolina
Memphis, Tennessee
Sioux City, Iowa
Staten Island, New York

'EAT AT YOUR OWN RISK,' Dave's says of spicy reaper

Childhood friends Chef Dave Kopushyan, Arman Oganesyan and Tommy Rubenyan opened Dave’s Hot Chicken in 2017 with $900, a parking lot, portable fryers and folding tables, the company said in a news release.

The chicken spot’s mascot is a rubber chicken, an ode to the rubber chicken the company's founders bought at a swap meet, the company told USA TODAY on April 16. The menu at Dave's Hot Chicken consists of the new Hot Mozz mozzarella sticks, chicken tenders, sliders, mac and cheese, fries, chicken bites and cauliflower tenders.

The company's dishes come in seven different spice levels: No spice/not hot, lite mild, mild, medium, hot, extra hot and reaper.

The hottest spice level, called reaper, comes with a disclaimer. Those who try the reaper heat level must be 18 or older.

"EAT AT YOUR OWN RISK," the company wrote on its website. "You acknowledge that eating the REAPER can cause you harm, including, but not limited to, bodily injury, property damage, emotional distress, or even death."

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s trending team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at[email protected].

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