From Parking Lot Pop-Up to $1 Billion Payday
Around that same period, another brand was quietly stoking its own fire.
Dave’s Hot Chicken began in 2017 as a modest pop-up in an East Hollywood parking lot, launched by four friends armed with just $900 and a bold recipe. What started as a scrappy sidewalk operation would eventually become a global powerhouse.
In June 2025, Restaurant Business Magazine reported that Dave’s Hot Chicken sold to Roark Capital for $1 billion. Today, the chain boasts more than 300 locations worldwide — proof that in the fried chicken gold rush, some struck it rich.
Traffic Rises While Others Fall
If trends from last year continue, fried chicken chains could remain the most dominant subsector in fast food through 2026.
Market research firm Circana found that traffic at fried chicken fast-food restaurants climbed 3% in the year ending September 2025. By comparison, overall restaurant concepts experienced a 1% decline year-over-year, according to reporting by Fast Company.
Industry observers point to variety and experience as key ingredients in this sustained demand.
Consumers can choose from bone-in pieces, crispy tenders, or towering chicken sandwiches — and customize how they enjoy them. That flexibility, paired with immersive branding, keeps diners coming back.
“This is due to the experiences the brands are creating as well as the variety of chicken and how you can enjoy it,” Reilly Newman of Motif Brands told The Food Institute.
