Room For Seconds

How Dave’s Hot Chicken Became a Franchise Powerhouse
On the latest episode of Room for Seconds, host Gregg Majewski sat down with Jim Bitticks, President & COO of Dave’s Hot Chicken, to discuss the rapid rise of one of the fastest-growing restaurant franchises in the U.S. From humble beginnings as a parking lot pop-up to over 270 locations and counting, Jim shares the strategies, challenges, and bold moves that have fueled Dave’s explosive growth.
Key Takeaways:
- Build the Right Team from Day One - Scaling fast requires top-tier leadership from the start. Instead of hiring up-and-comers and growing them into leadership roles, Dave’s Hot Chicken brought in experienced executives early—a strategy that’s paid off.
- The Secret to Franchisee Selection - Dave’s Hot Chicken doesn’t just sell franchises to anyone—they carefully vet operators based on experience and market knowledge. This strategic approach ensures that operators already understand brand compliance, scaling, and operational excellence, reducing risk and accelerating growth.
- Bold Marketing Moves Make a Big Impact - Early on, Dave’s took a risk on ad spending—even before the budget was fully in place. The gamble paid off, helping to establish the brand in key markets and win franchisee confidence.
Episode Links:
- Dave’s Hot Chicken Online
- Dave’s Hot Chicken Instagram
- Dave’s Hot Chicken Facebook
- Dave’s Hot Chicken Tik Tok
- Subscribe to Dave's Hot Chicken on YouTube
- Connect with Dave's Hot Chicken on LinkedIn
- Connect with Jim Bitticks on LinkedIn
ABOUT JIM BITTICKS
Bitticks started in the restaurant industry as a teenager and climbed the ranks at CKE Restaurants to become vice president of operations in the San Diego market. He joined Blaze Pizza in 2013 to lead operations and training and later became chief restaurant officer to help that concept grow from two to more than 350 locations.
Bitticks joined Dave’s Hot Chicken as COO in July 2020 and has helped build systems and processes to enable Dave’s Hot Chicken to scale at a rapid pace.
ABOUT GREGG MAJEWSKI:
Gregg Majewski has a vast amount of experience as a corporate executive in the restaurant industry. As the former CEO of Jimmy John’s, he played a major role in expanding the franchise from 33 to 300+ stores in just 5 years by surrounding the company’s marketing strategy around the innovative approach of delivering sandwiches and being “freaky fast”. Majewski has worked to develop restaurant concepts over the last two plus decades, before starting Craveworthy Brands in 2023, which currently includes a growing portfolio of restaurant brands.
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