Dave’s Hot Chicken to Open First Rogue Valley Location in South Gateway Medford

MEDFORD, Ore. (Dec 3, 2025) — The fast-growing spicy-chicken chain Dave’s Hot Chicken is headed to Southern Oregon. The company is working to open its first Rogue Valley location in the South Gateway area of Medford, off Center Drive. The restaurant is slated to open in late winter 2025 or early 2026, and the new spot is expected to employ roughly 40 to 50 people.

From L.A. Pop-Up to Nationwide Player

Dave’s Hot Chicken began in 2017 when childhood friends — Dave Kopushyan, Arman Oganesyan and brothers Tommy Rubenyan and Gary Rubenyan — set up a tent in a parking lot in East Hollywood, using a portable fryer and folding tables to serve Nashville-style fried chicken tenders and sliders. The concept quickly gained local buzz and within months the team opened their first permanent storefront.

Since that modest start, Dave’s has grown explosively. As of mid-2025, the chain reportedly operates around 300 franchise locations across the United States and internationally, with dozens more in its development pipeline.

Oregon Presence Expands — Now Reaching Medford

Dave’s first entered the Oregon market in spring 2021, opening a location in Tualatin. Since then, the chain has expanded across the state, establishing restaurants in Beaverton, Clackamas, Portland, Eugene and Salem.

In 2025, a new location opened in Springfield, demonstrating continued momentum in Oregon. With the planned south Medford site, the company will finally reach Oregon’s southernmost metropolitan region — bringing its signature mix of hand-breaded tenders, sliders and bold spices to the Rogue Valley for the first time.

What the Medford Move Means Locally — and for the Brand

For Medford-area customers, the arrival of Dave’s offers a locally accessible alternative to Portland- or Eugene-area fast-casual chicken spots. The planned staffing of 40–50 employees suggests a substantial operation, likely including kitchen, counter staff and drive-through or take-out service.

The company is advertising a number of open positions to staff the new location. Including an Assistant Manager position with a starting wage of $22.84, with options for additional bonus pay.

For Dave’s broadly, the South Gateway Medford location underscores the brand’s strategy of steady nationwide expansion, including deeper penetration into mid-sized metro areas and underserved regions. After less than a decade in business, the chain’s journey from a single parking-lot stand to hundreds of locations illustrates both the popularity of its spice-forward menu and the scalability of its franchise model.

Medford Alert News has reached out to company representatives for additional information and are awaiting a response. The article will be updated once a reply is received.