FoodKSARiyadh

A Drake-backed chicken joint is opening in Riyadh

The first outpost of Dave’s Hot Chicken in the Kingdom will be located in Thalia.

When Drake rapped the line “Someone put an order in for a chicken. Told my girl to order in, I need the kitchen. Yeah they know I got the hook-up, they just wait on me to cook up” on his 2013 track Come Thru, we couldn’t have imagined that the throwaway lyric was a reference to his entrepreneurial vision. In September 2021, the Toronto-born rapper purchased an ownership stake in the fried chicken chain Dave’s Hot Chicken. 

In a statement given to Bloomberg at the time, Drake said, “I tried the food and it was amazing. After meeting the founders and hearing their story, I jumped at the opportunity to invest.”

Dave’s Hot Chicken Riyadh
@champagnepapi

The good news for both Drake and fried chicken fans is that the LA-based chain known for its seven spice levels of hot chicken tenders and sliders is opening very soon in Riyadh.

Dave’s Hot Chicken may be backed by investors such as Drake and Samuel L. Jackson, but this is an eatery where the fried chicken speaks for itself. After all, what started as a pop-up in an East Hollywood parking lot in 2017 is now a fast-casual hit with multiple locations across the US and UAE, owing to its Nashville-style hot chicken. Now, after months of rumours, the Los Angeles export is about to make its debut in Riyadh, welcoming diners in Thalia with its signature hot chicken tenders and sliders, along with sides like crispy fries, creamy mac and cheese, and housemade kale slaw.

Dave’s Hot Chicken Riyadh
@riyadhnation

Offered at seven different spice levels ranging from ‘No Spice’ to ‘Reaper’ (which requires a signed waiver for those who dare), each piece of juicy, hand-breaded chicken is spiced to order. Incidentally, Dave’s Hot Chicken will arrived in Saudi Arabia in partnership with Lavoya Restaurant Group. Established with the purpose of significantly transforming dining experiences, Lavoya introduces new and unique casual dining concepts to reshape the F&B industry in the GCC. Elsewhere, the group has seen recent success by bringing diverse new flavours to the region with international brands such as Barbar and Joe and the Juice.

Further down the line, new outposts for Dave’s Hot Chicken are expected in 31 locations across the GCC – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar included.

GO: Follow @daveshotchickengcc on Instagram for more information.

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David Tapley - Editor-in-Chief
As editor-in-chief of the region’s most fiercely local lifestyle publication, David is a self-proclaimed hip-hop aficionado, championing all things food, travel, street art, and streetwear across the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

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