Some like it hot: Dave’s Hot Chicken restaurant will open in Columbia. Here’s where
Famously Hot Columbia is about to get a little bit hotter.
Dave’s Hot Chicken, a restaurant chain that started in California and has been quickly spreading across the U.S., is going to open a shop in Columbia. It will be at 4601-A Devine St. That’s the former location of a Smashburger restaurant, which recently closed.
Franchisee Kal Gullapalli will be opening the Devine Street location, he confirmed to The State. He said a lease has been signed for the space. Architectural plans are being completed, and then the restaurant will go through the permitting process. He is hopeful for an opening in May or June.
Dave’s Hot Chicken was started as a parking lot pop-up in 2017 in Los Angeles and has quickly grown, with restaurants across the nation. There are locations in dozens of locations across North America, with another 700 units committed since franchising opportunities revved up in 2019.
A 2022 news release said Dave’s offers “hot chicken tenders and sliders, with spice levels ranging from ‘No Spice’ to ‘Reaper,’” as well as sides including house-made kale slaw, creamy mac and cheese, and crispy fries or cheese fries.
“It has seen really fast growth,” Gullapalli told The State. “Communities have embraced Dave’s Hot Chicken quite a bit. The product is phenomenal.”
This will be Dave’s entry into the South Carolina market. There is a Dave’s in Charlotte at Plaza Midwood.
TV station WLTX first reported Dave’s Hot Chicken’s plans for Devine Street.
Gullapalli said the first two South Carolina markets he is focused on are the Midlands and Greenville. The Charleston and Myrtle Beach markets also are on his radar for later.
This story was originally published January 23, 2023 at 1:19 PM.
