Dave’s Hot Chicken

What came first: the chicken or the dream? Like so many American dreams, ours had a humble beginning. Three childhood friends in their 20’s who scraped together $900. Our not-so-grand opening was in 2017, in a parking lot in East Hollywood, with a couple of folding tables and a portable fryer under the night sky. But thanks to Instagram, people came. And tasted. And came back with their friends. Then, the buzz brought a reporter from EATER/LA. He took a bite of his first Dave’s Hot Chicken tender, and our world changed. The next day he posted, “East Hollywood’s New Late Night Hot Chicken Stand Might Blow Your Mind.”