Dave’s Hot Chicken has a new CEO and it’s a familiar face.
The Los Angeles-based chain, which last year was acquired by Roark Capital in a deal valued at $1 billion, has named Jim Bitticks to the role of CEO, replacing Bill Phelps, who has led the brand since 2019. Phelps will move to the position of executive chair and will remain actively involved. He also remains an equity stakeholder.
Bitticks has served as the company’s president and chief operating officer for more than five years, a period when Dave’s was one of the fastest growing franchise brands in the country, expanding by nearly 400 units worldwide, including units in Canada, the U.K. and the Middle East.
Phelps said Bitticks, who is also a franchisee, has been a driving force behind Dave’s strategic, profitable growth.
“As both a franchisee and operator, he has built the programs and teams behind our best-in-class operations across nearly 400 restaurants worldwide,” Phelps said in a statement. “Guest sentiment continues to rise—and it starts with Jim’s vision for collaborative operations. I’m excited to work alongside Jim and the team as we continue to blow people’s minds with the most incredible hot chicken on the planet.”
Jim Bitticks | Photo courtesy of Dave's Hot Chicken.
Dave’s Hot Chicken has a rich back story as a brand founded as a popup in a Los Angeles parking lot in 2017 by four friends who pooled their savings ($900) to serve spicy chicken tenders and sandwiches. They opened a brick-and-mortar in 2018 and the brand took off, drawing the attention of Phelps, the co-founder of Wetzel’s Pretzels, and an investor group, who launched franchising.
When Roark Capital acquired Dave’s last year, Bitticks said Dave’s deliberately avoided becoming part of the investment firm’s two multi-brand restaurant platforms, GoTo Foods and Inspire Brands.
Instead, Bitticks predicted Dave’s would stand alone as a high-performing “rock star.” He envisioned a potential initial public offering within three to five years, modeling Roark’s experience with Wingstop, which the investment firm took public with an IPO in 2015.
Calling Dave’s one of the most iconic success stories in the restaurant industry, Bitticks in a statement said he is grateful to have helped craft the operations that pay homage to the brand’s origins while supporting the chain’s rapid growth.
“I’ve also been fortunate to learn firsthand from an extraordinary leader, Bill Phelps, who has been at the forefront of shaping this company’s culture,” he said. “I’m honored to continue leading this American Dream story—supporting our franchise partners, accelerating growth in new and existing markets, and staying true to the original vision of the brand and its founders.”
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