Local franchise firm bringing Dave’s Hot Chicken to Long Island

Port Washington-based Burger Brothers Restaurant Group has signed a franchise agreement to bring a new fast-casual chain to Long Island. 

Burger Brothers, headed by franchise veterans John Froccaro and Jeff Froccaro, will be bringing Dave’s Hot Chicken to the area with 14 new restaurants in Nassau, Suffolk and Queens counties over the next five years. 

The plan is to open seven of the California-based chain’s restaurants on Long Island and another seven in Queens. The franchisees are currently securing appropriate locations that range in size from 2,000 to 2,700 square feet, which can be endcaps and freestanding locations, with or without drive-thru capacity, according to a company statement. 

“When we began our search for a brand to add to our portfolio, we knew that we wanted to be involved with a brand that offered the highest-end product, incredible corporate leadership, and unmatched consumer excitement,” John Froccaro said in the statement. “From the early stages of exploring the opportunity with Dave’s Hot Chicken we knew it was exactly what we were looking for. Our team is thrilled to work with Dave’s Hot Chicken and deliver an exceptional restaurant option to our area.” 

The Froccaros and their longtime business partner Harry Braunstein are veterans of the food franchise industry and own and operate 33 Burger King restaurants located throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. The franchisees also own eight Qdoba Mexican Eats restaurants in the area. 

Over the past decade, a third generation of Froccaro family members have joined the company and are heavily involved in its operations and development of a growing restaurant portfolio. 

“John and Jeff bring incredible experience and industry expertise to the table, and we could not be more thrilled to work with them,” Bill Phelps, CEO of Dave’s Hot Chicken, said in the statement. “Their ambition and knowledge, combined with the support and guidance from Dave’s Hot Chicken is the perfect recipe for success. We are excited to see the growth of the brand in the Queens and Long Island markets, made possible by the Froccaros.” 

Dave’s Hot Chicken specializes in Nashville-style hot chicken tenders and sliders, with spice levels ranging from “No Spice” to “Reaper.” Each restaurant also serves sides of house-made kale slaw, macaroni and cheese and crispy fries or cheese fries. 

Founded in 2017 by Arman Oganesyan, Chef Dave Kopushyan, and brothers Tommy and Gary Rubenyan, Dave’s Hot Chicken got its start with a parking lot pop-up, before opening a brick-and-mortar location in East Hollywood. 

In 2019, the founders struck a deal with Wetzel’s Pretzels co-founder and former CEO, Bill Phelps, and movie producer John Davis to begin franchising the Dave’s Hot Chicken concept throughout the U.S. and beyond.  

The company has sold the rights to over 599 franchise locations in the U.S. and Canada and will open an additional 75 locations this year. Additional brand investors include music artist Drake, former California First Lady Maria Shriver, Red Sox owner Tom Werner, actor Samuel L. Jackson, and Good Morning America anchor and retired NFL player Michael Strahan. 

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