Fried chicken lovers rejoice—Dave’s Hot Chicken, the Armenian-owned hugely popular food concept that boasts Drake as a major investor, is officially opening in Dubai, the owners have announced.
Sources tell Esquire Middle East that the opening will be this September.
“AYY!!! we’re coming to #DUBAI ‼️this is honestly SURREAL but the first #daveshotchicken in @dubai OPENS THIS YEAR ?,” according to an post from the restaurant’s official Instagram account. “
“THIS WILL BE HUGE,” the brand added.
The restaurant was started by best friends Dave Kopushyan, Arman Oganesyan, Tommy Rubenyan, and Gary Rubenyan in 2017, starting as a stand in an East Hollywood parking lot before growing in esteem, with word quickly travelling across the world about how tasty their chicken actually was—which is known for being juicy and tender like no other.
Dubai, of course, is an obvious choice for an international expansion, as it’s known for producing queues that wrap nearly around the Burj Khalifa when a new fried chicken place opens up, such as Albaik’s debut in the UAE last year.
It even caught the attention of one of the world’s most popular musical superstars, who last year was announced as being a part of the brand that has quickly spread across the United States.
How Drake got involved in Dave’s Hot Chicken
“[Drake] has a large stake,” Oganesyan said in 2021. “As far as investors go, he has a very good stake.”
There’s no word yet on what location it will open in and whether Drake may be on hand for the opener, but as a lover(boy) of Dubai, there’s certainly a chance he makes an appearance.
Drake isn’t the only major investor either—both Samuel L Jackson and Boston Red Sox chairman Tom Werner are major stakeholders.
Drake got involved when he asked Dave’s to cater his party after receiving Billboard’s Artist of the Decade award.
“We really vibed with his team, including (longtime friend and manager) Future The Prince, who is also one of his good friends,” Arman told Eater LA. “He’s an awesome guy and we talked to him for a while. Afterwards, they expressed a little bit of interest in partnering up with the company to see what they can do, because they liked the food so much.”
The restaurant’s latest Dubai chapter is a mere part of its amazing story.
“Dave, a chef trained in Thomas Keller’s (French Laundry) organization set out to create the perfect Hot Chicken by searching, tasting, and frying,” says the brand’s official bio. “The four friends scrounged up $900 to put a tiny stand in an East Hollywood parking lot. The menu 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.””
“Arman created Instagram buzz and the lines began to grow. Two nights later, Eater/LA showed up 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 bio continues. “A year later, the boys had the money to open a shop in a hip strip-mall with décor by local street artists, where the crowds continued to grow with wait-times of an hour and more. From there, the incredibly craveable “Hot and Spicy” varieties have created a cult following with rave reviews across the U.S. and Canada.”
Esquire Middle East, no stranger to breaking Dubai’s fried chicken news, will be on the case, so keep us bookmarked to find out how exactly you can try what is supposedly some of Dave’s best fried chicken in the world as soon as it hits the UAE.