Dave’s Hot Chicken Named Yelp’s Most Loved Brand of 2025

Dave’s Hot Chicken has officially been crowned Yelp’s Most Loved Brand of 2025 — another milestone in what has become one of the most remarkable modern food-industry success stories. Yelp announced the recognition Tuesday in its annual Most Loved Brands report, placing Dave’s in the No. 1 spot just months after the company’s $1 billion acquisition by Roark Capital, the parent company behind Dunkin’, Subway, and Arby’s.

It’s a moment that feels almost surreal given the chain’s humble beginnings. In 2017, four childhood best friends in their twenties — all Armenian — took a $900 budget, a portable fryer, and a couple of folding tables and set up a Nashville-style hot chicken pop-up in an East Hollywood parking lot. What started as a shoestring operation quickly exploded into a local sensation, drawing long lines and viral social media buzz.

Eight years later, that pop-up has become Dave’s Hot Chicken, a fast-growing powerhouse with more than 300 U.S. locations, millions of fans, and a massive digital footprint spanning 6.5 million followers on TikTok and Instagram. And now, it holds the title of the most loved brand in America according to Yelp reviewers.

Yelp’s report, which analyzes consumer sentiment using its Review Insights AI, evaluated factors such as food and drink quality, service, ambiance, and wait times. The platform found that 71% of Dave’s reviewers rated the chain between four and five stars, praising the consistency, memorable experiences, and the kind of word-of-mouth enthusiasm that has fueled the brand from its earliest days. Despite chains like Trader Joe’s and See’s Candies receiving slightly higher average star ratings, Dave’s Hot Chicken led the list thanks to its ability to inspire repeat visits and strong customer loyalty.

The chain’s momentum in 2025 has been boosted by major marketing initiatives, including its March partnership with UFC, which placed Dave’s Hot Chicken ads in front of roughly 950 million U.S. households through UFC’s streaming network. Meanwhile, the brand’s late-night hours — often stretching to 1 or 2 a.m. — and its famously generous portion sizes have helped fuel its presence in mukbang videos and influencer food content. The hashtag #DavesHotChicken now appears in over 41,000 TikToks, many filmed by fans sampling the chain’s seven heat levels, from “No Spice” to the infamous “Reaper.”

Responding to broader dining trends, Dave’s has also expanded beyond traditional chicken, re-launching its Dave’s NOT Chicken cauliflower-based line to appeal to vegetarian customers.

Yelp’s 2025 Most Loved Brands report highlighted a wider resurgence of “nostalgic” dining, with longtime family chains like Olive Garden, Denny’s, and Chili’s earning spots in the top 25. The list also showed shifting regional preferences: while New York diners leaned heavily toward fast-casual chicken concepts such as Dave’s and Raising Cane’s, much of the Northeast gravitated toward Asian fusion. On the West Coast, steakhouse and crispy chicken options dominated, while the Midwest continued its loyalty to hearty, comfort-forward chains.

Dave’s Hot Chicken’s rise has been as fast as it has been lucrative. After generating $620 million in sales in 2024, analysts predict the chain will reach $1.2 billion in 2025. Its acquisition by Roark Capital in March cemented its status as a major force in the fast-casual market — an extraordinary leap from its modest East Hollywood pop-up roots.

For founders who grew up together dreaming big — and who now represent one of the most successful Armenian-founded restaurant ventures in the U.S. — the recognition is a full-circle moment. What began as a passion project has become a billion-dollar brand whose popularity shows no signs of slowing down.

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