A third serving of spicy chicken is coming to Larimer County in late summer/early fall. Franchisees Jason Beld and Marc Rogers will open their next Dave’s Hot Chicken at 1700 S. College Ave. in midtown Fort Collins.
The East Hollywood fried chicken franchise founded by “best friends” Dave Kopushyan, Arman Oganesyan, and Tommy and Gary Rubenyan with a $900 investment in 2017 is now an international institution, even opening a store in Dubai last year (per Timeout). The restaurant’s success should be no surprise as Kopushyan planned for perfecting hot fried chicken by first training in Thomas Keller’s legendary French Laundry kitchen.
This will be Beld and Rogers’ second foray into the fried chicken eatery after opening the Centennial State staple, Fuzzy’s Tacos, in 2014. According to Franchising.com, the pair signed on to serve up 11 Dave’s Hot Chicken stores to open 11 area units in 2020. Beld is a service industry veteran having directed regional Pizza Hut stores for 25 years (per the Coloradoan). In 2019, Beld read about Dave’s simple yet delicious fast casual menu — fried spicy chicken in the form of tenders and sliders dusted in a signature spice mix of spices rising from No Spice to “The Reaper.” On the side are soft drinks along with fries, kale slaw, and mac and cheese. Inside, hungry patrons will find a bright, street-art inspired decor and a raucous setting; perfect for consuming hot bites.
The partners plan to renovate the Midtown building strip on College Avenue into a two-tenant commercial space. There is no word yet on what the restaurant next might be.
