New competition entering Tampa Bay's 'fried chicken wars'

TAMPA, Fla. - If you get a craving for a hot chicken sandwich, you have plenty of options here in the Tampa Bay area. The latest entry in the ongoing "fried chicken wars" is Dave's Hot Chicken which opens Friday on East Fowler Ave.

"We're keeping it simple; we're selling Nashville hot style tenderloins with seven levels of spice from no spice to reaper," said owner Ian Lieberman.

Dave's started in 2017 as a pop-up-tent run by four buddies selling fried chicken in a parking lot in east Hollywood, California. In 2021, it caught the attention of rap star Drake, who became an investor.

Safe to say, business appears to be booming, but is it enough to compete in what's already a crowded-local chicken market?

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"We think there's a lot of more room and runway for growth in this market, especially in the Nashville hot, which is a premium product geared towards a bold flavor and a different type of customer," Lieberman said.

"I welcome the competition. I like friendly competition. It pushes me as a chef and us as a brand," said King of the Coop founder and four-time winner of Best Fried Chicken in Tampa, Joe Dodd.

The "chicken wars," he says, are good for business.

"It is like a hamburger. Everyone's had a hamburger, there's still a whole group of people who haven't had Nashville hot chicken, but with more opening, it drives business for everybody," Dodd said.

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For those that don't know, what sets "Nashville hot" apart is how the chicken is cooked and the secret sauce of spices that give it a kick.

Local food blogger, the Tampa Food Girl says you and your tastebuds are the real winner of the chicken wars.

"It is great for the consumer. It means you have lots of options. It means wherever you're at, you have a hot chicken or at least good chicken nearby," she said.