Dive Brief:
- Dave’s Hot Chicken COO and President Jim Bitticks took over as CEO on Monday, the company confirmed in an email to Restaurant Dive.
- Bitticks succeeded Bill Phelps, who served as CEO since 2019; Phelps will remain chairman of the board. A successor for Bitticks as COO has yet to be named.
- Dave’s has grown extremely fast in recent years, driven by consumer interest in chicken and its franchising strategy that includes franchisees in its C-suite and targets experienced multi-unit operators.
Dive Insight:
Dave’s growth in the last half-decade culminated in a majority sale to Roark Capital last year that was worth an estimated $1 billion. At the end of 2024, Dave’s had about 250 units, and has since grown to nearly 400, representing considerable year-over-year growth, according to the announcement of Bitticks’ promotion.
Bitticks has been chief operating officer and president at the chain for over five years, and his accession to the CEO post likely signals strategic continuity for the chicken brand.
“As both a franchisee and operator, [Bitticks] 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—an extraordinary achievement for a brand growing at this pace—and it starts with Jim’s vision for collaborative operations.”
The runaway growth of challenger chicken chains, from giants like Dave’s Hot Chicken to Raising Cane’s to regional players like Layne’s Chicken Tenders and Haven Hot Chicken, has reshaped the landscape of fast food post the COVID-19 pandemic. Major chains, like McDonald’s and Wendy’s, have revived chicken tender menu items after long absences.
Bitticks will be tasked with leading Dave’s through an increasingly competitive chicken landscape. He said he was focused on “supporting our franchise partners, accelerating growth in new and existing markets, and staying true to the original vision of the brand and its founders.”
