Dave's Hot Chicken to open third central Ohio eatery

WESTERVILLE, Ohio (WCMH) -- A national chain boasted as a "hot chicken sensation" is expanding with a third central Ohio location opening this week.

Dave's Hot Chicken is opening on Friday at 803 Polaris Parkway in Westerville, near Buffalo Wild Wings and the Original Pancake House. The new restaurant comes after the brand opened its first central Ohio location at 3590 W. Dublin-Granville Road in 2022, followed by the second at 1828 N. High St. near Ohio State University last year.

Based in Los Angeles, Dave's was founded in 2017 and has since ballooned to nearly 190 locations across the U.S., Canada and in the Middle East. Along with chicken legs and wings, menu offerings include slider-style sandwiches and tenders that can be made with seven different heat levels, from "no spice" and "lite mild" to "extra hot" and "reaper."

The hot chicken chain is one of several fast-casual chicken eateries expanding in central Ohio, like Bojangles, which is moving forward with plans to build a location in Delaware. The restaurant would mark the chain’s third central Ohio restaurant after the first opened in Hilliard and the second in Heath.

Chick-fil-A is also expanding by bulldozing several Columbus-area restaurants to make room for new locations. The chain is planning to demolish a Buca di Beppo in Worthington after purchasing the site for $2.5 million earlier this month.

Mackenzie River in Westerville closed earlier this year and is scheduled to be demolished to make room for a new Chick-fil-A. In addition, Tee Jaye’s Country Place at 4910 N. High St. closed in 2021 for a new Chick-fil-A, which opened earlier this month. Construction at this site included preserving the site’s 20th-century sign that has received a facelift with Chick-fil-A branding.

Other central Ohio chicken eateries include a chain founded by Hall of Fame basketball star Shaquille O’Neal that is planning to open more than 35 restaurants in Ohio, beginning in Columbus. Slim Chickens is planning to open as many as 25 locations in Ohio, while Hot Chicken Takeover has recently opened several new restaurants.