New chicken chain is planning first Iowa restaurants in Cedar Rapids, Coralville

Following the rapid expansion of Raising Cane’s, a new chicken restaurant is turning attention to Iowa as one of its last remaining frontiers of expansion.

Dave’s Hot Chicken, a fast-casual concept known for its spicy Nashville-style chicken, has announced plans to build five locations in Iowa. The new franchisee agreement to enter the Iowa market includes one site each in Cedar Rapids, Coralville and Davenport, plus two in the Des Moines metro area.

With a presence in the Chicago, Omaha and Minneapolis markets, Dave’s Hot Chicken has been eyeing Iowa since at least last year, when it announced its search for franchisees to bring the restaurant to the Hawkeye State.

“We’ve filled almost every major market in the U.S. One of the few pockets we have available is Iowa,” Shannon Swenson, vice president of franchise development, previously told The Gazette. “We’re starting to fill in all around.”

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Since the brand started franchising in 2019, it has expanded to more than 140 locations in the United States and Canada, and has more than 850 franchise commitments in the works.

A timeline for the Iowa openings has not been announced, but Swenson noted that openings across all target Iowa markets could take three to four years.

The California-based restaurant first started as a parking lot pop-up in Los Angeles in 2017, where it quickly gained popularity among bloggers and food publication Eater Los Angeles.

“It’s an amazing flavor profile. We have a cult-like following to the brand,” Swenson said.

The new locations will be led by father-son duo and Iowa residents Bart and Kegan Coon, who spearheaded the development of three Crumbl Cookies locations in the Des Moines area. Bart’s previous entrepreneurial ventures included businesses in the health care, hospice and real estate development.

“We’re excited to introduce Dave’s Hot Chicken to our home state,” Bart said. “After falling in love with the food, we started looking at opportunities to grow with the brand.”

In addition to hot chicken tenders and sliders in spice levels ranging from “no spice” to “Reaper,” the menu at Dave’s includes housemade kale slaw, macaroni and cheese and crispy, seasoned fries — plus optional cheese.

“Being able to connect with local communities and contribute to the vibrant food landscape of Iowa is important to us,” Kegan added.

The concept continues to seek restaurant operators and franchisees to expand in key markets including Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Pittsburgh and Tennessee.

Comments: Features reporter Elijah Decious can be reached at (319) 398-8340 or elijah.decious@thegazette.com.