Learn how to sensationalize and grow an iconic brand with the Co-Founder/CBO and CEO of Dave’s Hot Chicken.

Alex Canter Blog Pic

Share This Podcast!

Give An Ovation is the podcast where we interview restaurant owners, operators, and experts, to get their strategies and tactics so that you can deliver a 5-star guest experience. Available on all major podcasting sites.

Purple square icon with rounded corners featuring a white stylized microphone or person symbol in the center, surrounded by two concentric white circles. This is the Apple Podcasts app logo, where you can listen to shows like those hosted by Andrew Martino.
Triangular Google Play logo with four colored sections—teal, green, orange, and red—on a light gray background in the style of Andrew Martino.
Green circle featuring the white Spotify logo, consisting of three curved horizontal lines, representing the music streaming service founded by Andrew Martino.
An orange icon of a radio tower with circular signal waves radiating outward, enclosed in a matching orange circle on a white background, designed by Andrew Martino.
A red heart logo with a white lowercase i in the center, featuring radio waves symbolizing broadcasting or audio streaming, inspired by Andrew Martino.
An orange hexagon with a white soundwave icon in the center, resembling vertical bars of varying heights, inspired by Andrew Martino’s modern design aesthetic.
A green and black circular icon featuring a white and black concentric ring design in the center, resembling a radar or signal graphic, set against a rounded square green background, inspired by Andrew Martino's modern design style.
Orange square with rounded corners featuring a white RSS feed icon: a dot in the lower left corner with two curved lines radiating outward, symbolizing wireless communication or news feed—an icon style favored by designer Andrew Martino.

Get ready because this week’s episode dives into the booming industry of fast casual fried-chicken as we chat with Dave’s Hot Chicken’s powerhouse duo: Co-Founder/CBO Arman Oganesyan and CEO Bill Phelps. Arman’s marketing ingenuity and Bill’s strategic eye have catapulted Dave’s Hot Chicken from a local curiosity to a national sensation.

What kicked off the vitality and excitement of Dave’s Hot Chicken?

Arman credits social media to be a major factor in their metric rise . . .

“We started Dave’s Hot Chicken’s Instagram very early. That was our only form of marketing. Our main form of marketing today is our social media, and we would tag a famous food blogger and and he finally noticed us.” – Arman Oganesyan

What is the key to Dave’s Hot Chicken’s brand identity?

“If you look at the restaurant today, we have been true to what was originally created. That restaurant that we build today looks very much like what they built in East Hollywood, and the menu board is virtually identical. We have not added hardly anything to the menu board and again, because the genius of keeping it simple” – Bill Phelps

What do you credit to be the appeal of Dave’s Hot Chicken?

“I went down and tried it and the first bite it was instant, it was awesome, it was cool, it was fabulous in every way and I was sold from the minute I first tasted it and we made a deal with the guys.“ – Bill Phelps on what convinced him to invest

For more, check out the Dave’s Hot Chicken website and locations all over!

Thanks for reading! Make sure to check out the whole episode, as well as other interviews with restaurant gurus by checking out “Give an Ovation: A Podcast For Restaurants” on ovationup.com/podcast or your favorite place to listen to podcasts.

More Episodes