CHERRY HILL, NJ — Cherry Hill’s ever-changing chicken landscape could soon get a spicy kick, with Dave’s Hot Chicken set to open in the coming months.
Dave’s Hot Chicken plans to open sometime this spring in the Ellisburg Circle Shopping Center, according to Federal Realty Investment Trust, which has invested in the chain’s upcoming Greater Philadelphia locations.
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Cherry Hill’s restaurant is set to become South Jersey’s first Dave’s Hot Chicken eatery.
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Dave’s Hot Chicken specializes in jumbo, Nashville-style hot chicken sliders; house-made kale slaw; creamy mac and cheese; and seasoned french fries. Chicken is available at seven different spice levels, ranging from “No Spice” to “Reaper,” which requires a signed waiver.
In 2017, four friends scraped together $900 to purchase an air fryer and serve flavorful hot chicken tenders out of a parking lot pop-up in East Hollywood, California. Despite only selling one item — a hot chicken combo plate — the street-food stand became a hit, with lines that sometimes stretched around the block.
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Dave’s Hot Chicken opened several restaurants around California in the coming years and spread its wings beyond the Golden State in 2021. That year, rapper Drake took notice and became a significant investor, according to Dave’s.
Research firm Technomic recently named Dave’s as “America’s Fastest Growing Restaurant Chain.” Dave’s Hot Chicken reached 170 restaurants as of November, including 69 that opened within a year, according to QRS Magazine. The company currently has two New Jersey eateries — in Wayne and Ocean Township.
Hundreds of other locations are in the works, the chain said last year.
Besides the Cherry Hill location, Dave’s plans to open six more South Jersey restaurants over the next five years, according to NJ Advance Media. The locations have not been announced.
Philadelphia’s first Dave’s Hot Chicken restaurant is slated to open this month in the Northeast Shopping Center on Roosevelt Boulevard. Another location in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, is set for a fall opening, according to Federal Realty.
Meanwhile, big changes keep coming for Cherry Hill’s chicken joints. Last year, Chick-fil-A Garden State Park relocated to the Garden State Pavilions. Then, PDQ abruptly closed its Cherry Hill eatery in November.
Raising Cane’s hopes to open around the end of February in Garden State Park — a half-mile down the road from the newly relocated Chick-fil-A. Cane’s opened its first New Jersey eatery Wednesday in Burlington.
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