US food chain confirmed to launch in UK with dish 'Brits can't handle' missing from menu

A new fried chicken joint from LA is set to hit our shores very soon and we don't know if their signature dish is going to make it.

Dave's Hot Chicken - which is backed by the likes of Drake and Samuel L. Jackson - began as a parking lot pop up, now with 200 locations across America.

It was childhood friends Dave Kopushyan, Arman Oganesyan and Tommy Rubenya who first started the venture in East Hollywood in 2017.

The UK and Ireland are getting 60 locations, with the first one coming in London next year (Instagram/@daveshotchicken)

Their menu largely consists of chicken tenders and sliders, with a whopping six spice levels to choose from.

Starting from £8, you've got No Spice, Lite Mild, Mild, Medium, Hot, and Extra Hot, as well as sides of fries, cheese fries, mac and cheese, male slaw and pickles.

However, their most famous dish, the Reaper, is so spicy that customers will need to sign a waiver before trying.

"I acknowledge that eating the Reaper can cause me harm, including but not limited to bodily injury, property damage, emotional distress or even death," it reads.

This comes after the first location out of 60 is set to open in London very soon at 40 Shaftesbury Avenue - but it still remains to be seen if the Reaper will be on the menu.

If you're ordering their spiciest stuff then you're meant to sign a waiver first (Instagram/@daveshotchicken)

Jim Attwood, Managing Director of Dave’s Hot Chicken UK, said: “After conducting taste tests here in the UK, we found the Reaper to be so hot that it left participants crying from the sheer heat of the spice mix.

“We are still in discussions as to whether the Reaper will make it onto UK plates.

“Of course, if the nation truly wants to test the hottest chicken in the world, we could be convinced...”

Bill Phelps, CEO of Dave’s Hot Chicken, added: “From frying hot chicken in an LA parking lot with nothing but $900 and a dream to set up shop in one of the most iconic cities in the world, we’ve come a long way – and we’re only getting started.

Just look at that spread (Instagram/@daveshotchicken)

“We’ve worked tirelessly with our UK team to deliver the bold flavours and tongue-tingling spice that have made us a cult sensation here in the USA.

“And we’re not just bringing the heat – we’re bringing the full Dave’s experience over for Brits.

“This opening marks the first in our plan to open up to 60 restaurants across both the UK & Ireland in the coming years.”

The opening will be on Saturday 7 December 2024, 12pm, and delivery will start in January.

For a guy that can just about handle medium spice at Nando's, I don't think I'm quite ready.