A waiver will be required for all customers to sign before they try “reaper-level” spicy chicken at Dave’s Hot Chicken, which is set to host its grand opening in Overland Park next week.
The restaurant opens Friday, Aug. 4, at 9097 Metcalf Ave., next door to IHOP in the mixed-use Promontory development.
The waiver is just standard procedure for the California-based chain, said managing partner Curt Staub (without a hint of humor).
“It’s just a safety precaution, it’s just something we do,” Staub said. “It just says that you acknowledge that eating the reaper can cause harm.”
Local group hopes to add more Dave’s to KC region
Overland Park will be the first location in the market for the growing chain.
Staub’s ownership group, Spicy Bros. Chicken, has signed on to bring another nine locations in the greater Kansas City area.
“We’re just very excited that this area in Overland Park is a real growth area,” Staub said. “The company is really growing, too.”
The original Dave’s started in 2017 as just a parking lot pop-up in Los Angeles.
In 2020, their footprint stood at just two stores, but it has since grown to over 130, as of July.
The company has hundreds of more franchise agreements signed around the country, including a location in Kansas City’s Westport area, set to open later this year.
Nashville-style hot chicken is the main attraction
There are seven different levels of spiciness to choose from for Dave’s chicken tenders and sliders.
“These aren’t those small chicken tenders that you see at…certain other places in town,” Staub said.
While not all Dave’s locations will have a liquor license, the Overland Park location will be serving beer.
The rest of the menu is standard for all Dave’s locations: chicken tenders, macaroni and cheese, milkshakes and kale slaw, among other items.
For Staub, who lives in Lincoln, Nebraska, and has a background in owning fast food franchises, the brand and menu seemed like a no-brainer to bring to the Midwest.
“We liked that it’s a simple menu with a single protein option,” Staub said. “It allows us to execute at a higher level.”
More info about Dave’s Hot Chicken:
- Online ordering at the Overland Park location is expected to be available in September, and ordering through delivery apps could be postponed until closer to October, Staub said.
- Dave’s opens everyday at 11 a.m., with closing at 10 p.m., during the week, and 11 p.m. on weekends.
Ben McCarthy is a contributor to the Post and other publications in the Kansas City area. He can be reached at ben.c.mccarthy@gmail.com with questions, comments and story suggestions.
