Dave’s Hot Chicken, a popular Nashville-style poultry chain that once attracted celebrities like Drake, Samuel L. Jackson and Usher as investors, is opening in Helotes.
A new filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation shows plans for a 2,882-square-foot renovation finish-out within a tenant space located at 9257 N Loop 1604 W, Helotes, TX 78023, next to a Taco Palenque and across Loop 1604 from H-E-B.
The $525,000 project will mark the fast-casual eatery’s fourth location in the San Antonio area.
Known for its juicy, jumbo-sized chicken tenders that come in seven different spice levels — from no spice, mild, and medium to hot, extra-hot and even reaper — the chain is in the midst of a massive national expansion.
The California-based chain opened its first location “in a parking lot in East Hollywood” in 2017, according to its website. Started by three friends in their 20s, including trained chef Dave Kopushyan, the street food stop quickly attracted Instagram buzz and media attention.
In 2023, a news release highlighted Drake’s then-ownership interests, which the rapper has since sold to private equity firm Roark Capital. The same release also announced that it had been named America’s Fastest-Growing Restaurant Chain by an industry research firm named Technomic.
At that time, the release noted that more than 700 locations were in the development pipeline, with plans for more in Texas. Today, the company has about 400 store locations across the world, and a news release from last year states that the company aims to build more than 150 stores in a year.
Construction work on the new Helotes location is expected to run from July 2026 through early November, though all TDLR details and timelines are subject to change. No opening date has been announced.