TAMPA, Florida — If the opening of Huey Magoo's or Raising Cane's wasn't enough chicken options for the Tampa Bay area, a new location for Dave's Hot Chicken is set to open this week in Tampa.
The popular chicken shop is holding a grand opening on Friday, June 16 at its new location at 2540 E. Fowler Ave. in Tampa. The shop will be open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Sunday and 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
"Tampa it's almost time, your [Dave's Hot Chicken location] opens this Friday...," an Instagram post from the business reads in part.
This new location will be the third official store in the Sunshine State with Floridians in Altamonte Springs and Orlando already chowing down on the chicken tenders and sandwiches. Another location is set to open on July 14 in Lake Mary.
Dave's Hot Chicken first started out with four best friends working together to scrounge up money to hold down a tiny stand in an East Hollywood parking lot selling food.
Dave Kopushyan, a chef who set out to create the perfect Hot Chicken, went searching, tasting and frying until he found it.
The menu the four friends put together for their stand was simple, and the chicken was the star.
"Sourced and prepared to be the juiciest and most tender chicken imaginable, each piece is topped with Dave’s signature mix of spices ranging from No Spice to “The Reaper," the chicken shop's website explains.
After lines began to grow and buzz circled on Instagram, a food website called Eater made a trip to see what the fuss was about.
"The next morning's headline read 'East Hollywood's Late Night Chicken Stand Might Blow Your Mind.' Almost instantly, the lines stretched around the block," the business explains online.
After a year of business, the four friends were able to open a location in a strip mall where customers continued to visit. Now in the present day, Dave's Hot Chicken has locations all across the U.S., Canada, UAE and Qatar.