Angelenos first fell in love with Dave’s Hot Chicken in 2017, when four childhood friends launched their Nashville-inspired hot chicken pop-up in an East Hollywood parking lot. With financial backing from Boston Red Sox Chairman Tom Werner and award-winning actor Samuel L. Jackson, the chicken joint has since become a booming franchise with nearly two dozen locations throughout California, and in Las Vegas, Toronto, and Dallas.
Now, Dave’s Hot Chicken is receiving another financial boost, this time from Canadian rapper Drake who announced Monday that he bought a minority stake in the restaurant chain.
“Started from the bottom now we’re here. welcome to the Dave’s Hot chicken family @champagnepapi @futuretheprince,” Dave’s wrote on Instagram, referencing Drake’s 2013 hit single “Started From the Bottom.” They added, “WHERE DO YOU WANT US TO OPEN A STORE NEXT!?”
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In that same Instagram post, Dave’s also shared an image of Drake very elegantly eating their signature chicken meal with a knife and a fork. (One of his Billboard trophies is conveniently in the frame as well).
“I tried the food and it was amazing,” Drake said in a statement to Bloomberg. “After meeting the founders and hearing their story, I jumped at the opportunity to invest.” Drake will own less than 50 percent of the company, but no further details were provided.
This isn’t the first time the Certified Lover Boy rapper has invested in a culinary business. In 2017, he invested in popular green tea brand Matchabar and, a year later, opened the restaurant Pick 6ix in his hometown of Toronto, Food & Wine reports. He’s also invested in a champagne brand and a whiskey brand.
It’s been a busy month for Drake. On September 3 he released his sixth studio album, Certified Lover Boy, which has been holding down the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 chart for two straight weeks.
In addition to the financial boost, Drake’s celebrity endorsement will likely serve to further raise the chicken chain’s profile—a strategy that isn’t new to the food industry. Rapper Rick Ross owns several of Wingstop franchises and has arguably become the face of the chicken brand.
If you haven’t tried Dave’s yet, they sell crinkle-cut fries, chicken tenders, and sliders with the option of selecting your heat level. There’s several locations sprinkled throughout California in areas like Koreatown, Culver City, Sherman Oaks, North Hollywood, and more. The chain is also expanding into several cities including Chicago and Houston.
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