Dave’s Hot Chicken has landed in Long Island.
The national chain opened its first of a projected seven locations on the island earlier last week in Carle Place.
The location is franchised by brothers John and Jeff Froccaro of Burger Brothers, alongside their longtime business partner Harry Braunstein. Michael, James, Joseph, Jake and John, a collection of John and Jeff’s sons and nephews, will help run the first Long Island Dave’s location on the ground.
Restaurant franchising runs deep in the family. Jeff’s father started the business with a Burger King in Port Washington, which the family still owns. Now, the family owns over 30 Burger Kings across Nassau, Suffolk, Queens, and Brooklyn, eight Qudoba locations across the island and the city and one Dave’s location in Queens.
Dave’s Hot Chicken, which started as a street food pop-up in East Hollywood in 2017, sells a variety of chicken sandwiches, sliders, fries and milkshakes at all of its locations. Their meals typically cost between $7 and $15.
“The chicken market is really one of the hottest markets there is,” Jeff said, explaining why the family decided to expand the franchise into Long Island. “We know that people love the food. It’s the juiciest chicken sandwich you’ll ever have. It’s a simple menu because it’s made for perfection.”
“Another huge reason why we went into another brand is because we have some amazing people that work for us,” Jeff added. “Every time you have a new brand and growth, it’s an opportunity for those people. We promote general managers and district managers, and it’s just an opportunity for our great people to move up.”
Though the Froccaros said running a franchise requires you to remain within the company’s guardrails, they said they believe their locations stand out due to their commitment to high service.
“What we try to do, more than anything, is provide amazing service. We think we have the best people,” Jeff said. “So that’s always our trademark: Really clean places with great service.”
“We’ve been in business a long time. We feel like Dave’s is a super exciting brand, and we’re happy to have the opportunity. It’s wonderful to work with your brother and your kids,” Jeff said, holding his grandson. “It’s a special thing.”
Their Carle Place Dave’s Hot Chicken location will serve made-to-order meals from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day.
