Dave’s Hot Chicken Locations: USA, UK, Ireland & Europe

If you’ve been hunting for a Nashville hot chicken fix lately, the search has probably led you somewhere unexpected — not just to strip malls in Arizona anymore, but to places like Cardiff, Wales. Dave’s Hot Chicken started as a Los Angeles parking lot pop-up, and now it is mapping out an ambitious push across European cities, with Dublin’s Dame Street firmly in its sights.

First Irish location planned: Dame Street, Dublin · European expansion goal: 180 restaurants across 10 countries · Origin: Los Angeles pop-up · Key investor: Drake · US store examples: Apple Valley MN, Coon Rapids MN

The key facts table below consolidates verified milestones from official announcements and trade reporting.

Is Dave’s hot chicken in Ireland?

Not yet, but the first Irish location is planned for One Central Plaza on Dame Street in Dublin — the site of the former Central Bank headquarters, according to Nova.ie, a regional Irish news outlet. The official store locator shows no operational locations in Ireland as of the latest data, making this a confirmed future arrival rather than a current presence.

Azzurri Group, a UK-based hospitality company, holds the master franchise rights for both the UK and Ireland, secured in 2024, and has expressed ambitions for up to 60 locations across those two markets, according to Verdict Foodservice. No specific opening date for the Dublin site has been announced yet, and reporting from PR Newswire confirms that no firm timeline exists for Ireland or other new European countries beyond the UK.

Dublin Dame Street Plans

• The planned location sits on Dame Street, a major thoroughfare in central Dublin
• Ground floor of One Central Plaza, Dublin’s landmark financial district building
• Dame Street positioning places the restaurant near the city’s main commercial and tourist corridor

What countries is Dave’s Hot Chicken in?

Dave’s Hot Chicken currently operates in two regions with confirmed locations: the United States, where the chain originated and maintains hundreds of locations across multiple states, and the United Kingdom, where it has built a small but growing footprint. The UK operations represent the chain’s only confirmed European presence so far.

The UK locations include the flagship on Shaftesbury Avenue in London’s West End, which opened in late 2024, followed by sites in Birmingham and Manchester, with additional UK cities like Croydon also on the map, according to PR Newswire. The only confirmed operational European location with verified address and hours is the Cardiff site at 54 Saint Mary St., Cardiff, UK CF10 1FE, which lists Sun–Thurs 11am–11pm and Fri–Sat 11am–1am hours on the Dave’s Hot Chicken Official Store Locator.

Current US Dominance

The United States remains the chain’s primary territory. Dave’s Hot Chicken has sold franchise rights for over 1,020 locations globally, with the vast majority in the American market, per PR Newswire. The chain plans 70-plus locations in 2025 across the US, Europe, Middle East, and Canada, with targets of 155 openings each in 2026 and 2027, according to Nation’s Restaurant News.

European Expansion Plans

Beyond the UK, Azzurri Group signed an agreement on September 1, 2025, granting exclusive development rights to open 180 Dave’s Hot Chicken restaurants across 10 European countries, according to PR Newswire. The target countries are France, Portugal, Spain, Germany, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Italy, and Turkey — but as of 2026 data, none of these nations have confirmed openings, and no firm timelines have been announced, per the official store locator.

How many total locations does Dave’s Hot Chicken have?

The exact current global total is unclear from public sources, but franchise data provides a clear ceiling. Dave’s Hot Chicken has sold rights for over 1,020 franchise locations globally, according to PR Newswire. This figure represents rights sold, not necessarily operational restaurants, so the true count of open locations sits somewhere below that number.

What is clearer is the growth trajectory. The chain targeted 70-plus openings in 2025 and aims for 155 openings in 2026 and another 155 in 2027, per Nation’s Restaurant News. Roark Capital, the private equity firm that acquired a controlling stake in the chain, is fueling this expansion, according to Verdict Foodservice.

US Locations Overview

• Dave’s Hot Chicken operates in multiple US states including examples in Minnesota (Apple Valley, Coon Rapids)
• The chain grew from a single LA parking lot to hundreds of locations in under a decade
• Investors include Drake and Samuel L. Jackson, per Time Out UK

Projections for 2026

With 155 domestic and international openings targeted for 2026, the US count is expected to grow significantly. However, the precise breakdown between US and international locations for that year is not publicly confirmed. The expansion leans heavily on franchise development, with the 1,020+ franchise rights sold globally providing the infrastructure for this growth.

The implication: The 1,020+ rights sold number far outpaces the operational count, suggesting franchise development is still in early stages against its own targets.

Dave’s hot chicken locations near me

The most reliable way to find nearby locations is the official store locator at store.daveshotchicken.com, which lists individual locations without an interactive map. For US users, the site provides state-by-state browsing with individual restaurant addresses and hours. For European readers, the picture is more limited — the UK has the most options, while Ireland and continental Europe await their first confirmed openings.

Regional sites and news outlets also track locations. Time Out UK reported that the chain revealed three more UK restaurant locations planned for 2026 opening, giving British readers a concrete near-term roadmap beyond existing sites.

Official Locations Finder

• store.daveshotchicken.com — primary US locator with state-by-state directory
• daveshotchicken.com/locations — general locations overview
• No interactive map on official sites — locations listed individually per the locations page

Map and Store Locator

If you are in the UK, your nearest current option may be Cardiff at 54 Saint Mary St. (Sun–Thurs 11am–11pm, Fri–Sat 11am–1am), London (Shaftesbury Avenue), Birmingham, Manchester, or Croydon. If you are in Ireland, you are currently out of luck — but Dame Street in Dublin is the planned destination. For continental Europe, France through Turkey, the wait continues with no confirmed locations or timelines.

What this means: The absence of an interactive map forces European users to check multiple sources, making announcements the most reliable tracking method for upcoming openings.

Dave’s Hot Chicken new locations

The most significant recent new opening in Europe was the London flagship on Shaftesbury Avenue in late 2024, followed quickly by Birmingham and Manchester, according to PR Newswire. The chain then announced plans to open three more UK restaurants in 2026, with the specific locations revealed publicly, per Time Out UK.

The biggest development came on September 1, 2025, when Azzurri Group signed an exclusive agreement to develop 180 Dave’s Hot Chicken restaurants across 10 European countries, per Nation’s Restaurant News. However, a complication emerged in March 2026: reporting from Reuters and Bloomberg indicates that Dave’s Hot Chicken is exploring a sale of its European franchise rights, raising questions about how the ambitious 10-country rollout will proceed.

Recent US Openings

• 70-plus locations targeted for 2025 across US, Europe, Middle East, and Canada
• 155 openings targeted for 2026 and 155 for 2027 domestically and abroad
• Growth backed by Roark Capital’s controlling stake

International Debuts

Dublin’s Dame Street location represents the first confirmed Irish debut, though no firm opening date has been set. The broader 10-country European plan covers France, Portugal, Spain, Germany, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Italy, and Turkey — but all of these remain unconfirmed on the ground, with Azzurri planning to use joint venture partnerships with local operators to execute the rollout.

The pattern: The franchise sale exploration arrived just months after the Azzurri deal closed, suggesting the chain may be repositioning its European strategy before significant openings materialize.

Timeline

Four milestones mark Dave’s Hot Chicken’s journey from LA obsession to European challenger.

What this signals: The arc from 2024 UK debut to 2025 European deal to 2026 franchise sale exploration shows a company moving fast — and now confronting the complexity that speed creates.

What we know and what we don’t

The confirmed facts are solid: UK operations are live in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Croydon, and Cardiff; Azzurri Group holds the Europe development rights; 180 units across 10 countries is the stated goal; and the Dublin Dame Street plan exists as a target. What remains murky is the exact timing for Ireland and continental Europe, the precise status of the European franchise sale exploration, and the current operational count of US locations specifically.

What people are saying

Dave’s Hot Chicken, the fastest-growing Nashville-style hot chicken sensation from Los Angeles, has finalized a landmark agreement with UK-based Azzurri Group, granting the hospitality powerhouse exclusive development rights across Europe.

— PR Newswire (Official Announcement)

Under the new agreement, Azzurri Group will develop 180 Dave’s Hot Chicken restaurants across 10 European countries.

— Nation’s Restaurant News (Industry Analysis)

The deal builds on the success of Dave’s Hot Chicken’s UK debut, which launched in late 2024 with a flagship location on Shaftesbury Avenue in London’s West End.

— PR Newswire (Trade Reporting)

For Irish and European chicken fans, the Dame Street announcement is the most concrete signal yet that the wait is ending — but the March 2026 reports that the chain is exploring a sale of its European franchise rights add a layer of uncertainty that could reshape who actually opens those restaurants and when. The 180-unit ambition across 10 countries remains the stated goal, backed by Azzurri’s exclusive rights, yet the underlying ownership structure is now in play.

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Dave’s Hot Chicken has firmly planted roots in UK cities like London, where multiple spots now draw crowds with fiery menus, and Cardiff.

Frequently asked questions