STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Dave’s Hot Chicken will open a location at the Staten Island Mall, giving borough residents access to the fast-growing Nashville-style chicken chain without having to travel to Brooklyn. Until now, the closest Dave’s location for many Staten Island diners has required crossing a bridge.
The company has not responded to requests for comment. The future restaurant will occupy a storefront across from the J.Crew Factory.
While opening details remain under wraps, the Staten Island restaurant appears to be moving forward as Dave’s Hot Chicken continues an aggressive national expansion. Industry reports published earlier this year said New York was among the markets expected to receive multiple new locations in 2026.
The fast-casual chain traces its origins to a 2017 parking lot pop-up in East Hollywood, where childhood friends Arman Oganesyan, Tommy Rubenyan and Dave Kopushyan pooled $900 to purchase a portable fryer and basic equipment. They set up folding tables and began selling hot chicken tenders to customers as a nighttime operation.
Kopushyan brought culinary credentials to the venture, having trained at Thomas Keller’s renowned French Laundry.
Just two days after opening, Dave’s Hot Chicken caught a major break when Eater LA published a review declaring, “East Hollywood’s New Late Night Hot Chicken Stand Might Blow Your Mind.” Soon afterward, customers were lining up around the block for a taste of the restaurant’s spicy chicken.
Hop Shoppe’s outdoor dining concept has become a force at the Staten Island Mall, helping transform the shopping center into a growing food destination.(Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)Every restaurant owner’s dream
Following the coverage that launched the brand into the spotlight, an older brother joined the original trio, and the group soon opened its first brick-and-mortar restaurant.
The chain has since expanded across the United States and internationally through franchising, transforming the startup into a billion-dollar business.
Along the way, Dave’s Hot Chicken attracted celebrity investors, including rapper Drake, actor Samuel L. Jackson and singer Usher. Drake has become one of the brand’s most visible ambassadors, promoting the chain through social media posts and birthday chicken giveaways.
True to its name, the menu features jumbo chicken tenders and sliders with spice levels ranging from no spice to the Reaper, the chain’s hottest offering. Customers who want to test their limits must sign a waiver before ordering. Printed on the receipt, the warning references bodily injury, emotional distress and even death, making it one of the few fast-food meals that comes with legal paperwork.
In March, Dave’s Hot Chicken announced that its newly launched Hot Mozz, a thick-cut breaded and fried mozzarella item, had sold out nationwide just over a week after its debut. The company attributed the demand to strong social media attention, calling it one of the most successful product launches in its history.
Recent additions include Kajiken, a Japanese noodle concept, and, across the street, Top Pot KBBQ & Hot Pot, which opened after a buildout that spanned more than two years.(Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)Meet you at the Mall
The Staten Island Mall location will be the chain’s first in the borough and joins several other recent dining additions.
Earlier this summer, Hop Shoppe debuted an outdoor dining concept between Barnes & Noble and the freestanding building housing Shake Shack, Chipotle and Kajiken, a Japanese noodle concept. Across the street is freshly operating Top Pot. Shima is also new at the mall with an all-you-can eat sushi concept.
Nan Xiang Soup Dumplings will be among the new dining concepts arriving at the mall. Another incoming concept is slated to replace East Pacific following the restaurant’s closure after 20 years.
The mall also hosts a weekly Saturday Greenmarket on Ring Road and will welcome a food truck festival this weekend.