Under the terms of the deal, Azzurri will develop a minimum of 180 Dave’s Hot Chicken restaurants across 10 European countries, leveraging a joint venture partnership model to team up with experienced local operators in each market.
The list of countries spans Europe and includes territories such as Portugal, Spain, and Germany.
Dave’s Hot Chicken made its debut UK on London’s Shaftesbury Avenue in December last year under a franchise partnership with Azzurri and has subsequently launched sites in Manchester and Birmingham.
Further openings in Stevenage and Westfield White City are planned in the coming months, with Azzurri aiming to open 60 sites under the brand across the UK & Ireland in the coming years.
“This is a once-in-a-generation brand,” says Steve Holmes, CEO of Azzurri Group.
“Dave’s Hot Chicken has all the ingredients for international success – unforgettable food, massive cultural resonance, and an incredibly scalable model.
“The response in the UK has been phenomenal, and we’re now focused on bringing this concept to more countries through strong local joint venture partnerships.”
Dave’s Hot Chicken was founded by childhood friends Dave Kopushyan, Arman Oganesyan and Tommy Rubenyan in 2017 as a pop up in LA and went on to open its first bricks and mortar site in East Hollywood the same year.
It now boasts more than 200 sites across America, as well as locations in Canada and the Middle East, and counts actor Samuel L. Jackson and singer Usher among its backers.
“This new agreement represents a major milestone in our global development strategy,” says Bill Phelps, CEO of Dave’s Hot Chicken.
“Azzurri has proven itself as a best-in-class operator with deep expertise in brand building and market execution.
“Their commitment to working alongside local partners gives us the scale, agility, and cultural insight needed to expand in new territories.”