In 2017, a group of friends launched a humble hot chicken concept out of a parking lot pop-up in East Hollywood. Fast forward to 2025, and Dave’s Hot Chicken has become one of the fastest-growing restaurant franchises in America!
Dave’s is now making headlines again after being acquired by private equity giant Roark Capital, the same firm behind names like Dunkin’ and Jimmy John’s.
How did a small street food idea become a $100M+ juggernaut with hundreds of units and a cult following?
It wasn’t luck. It was franchise power.
Dave’s story is proof that when the right brand, the right model, and the right people come together, scaling is not only possible, it can be explosive. Celebrity backing helped as well, but even more powerful was the team’s ability to systemize, franchise fast, and maintain a crave-worthy product across locations.
This is what gets us excited at Franchise xceler8or.
We’re in the trenches every day talking with emerging brands that have that same spark! Brands that are solving real consumer problems, creating standout experiences, and building the infrastructure to support rapid but sustainable growth.
Will every concept become the next Dave’s?
Not likely.
But are there future breakout brands quietly preparing to dominate their category right now?
Absolutely.
There are brands right now that are quietly building, testing, refining and that have the potential to be the next breakout name.
The franchise frontier is wide open. Whether it’s clean eating, pet care, tech-enabled service, or specialty wellness, the categories are evolving and consumers are hungry for innovation.
So here’s to the dreamers still in the early chapters of their journey.
The founders in test kitchens, the operators perfecting processes, the teams building something bigger than themselves.
If Dave’s Hot Chicken taught us anything, it’s that greatness doesn’t need a fancy launch—it just needs the right vision, execution, and a belief in what’s possible.