A fast-casual chain that definitely does not take itself too seriously, except when it comes to the chicken, Dave's Hot Chicken has hit The Choice City.

A chain that has only been around since 2017, Dave's Hot Chicken is taking the country by storm; including a new spot that's just opened in Fort Collins.

Bright colors, beer, cocktails, hot chicken, and... a rubber chicken.

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I'd heard that a place called Dave's Hot Chicken was headed to Fort Collins. With my name also being Dave, I was sure to keep an eye out for when it would be opening.

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I received an email to check out their pre-opening VIP night on September 13, 2023, the day before they officially opened on Thursday, September 14, 2023. I don't know why I was surprised to see so many people there.

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HOW DID DAVE'S HOT CHICKEN GET FROM HOLLYWOOD TO FORT COLLINS, COLORADO?

Four guys had this idea to create East Hollywood's best hot chicken tenders. They put together $900 to buy a fryer to get it started. It ballooned, it a great way, right after starting out with just a space in a parking lot.

Six years later, Dave's Hot Chicken is one of the most popular joints around. They have singers Drake, Maria Shriver, and Samuel L. Jackson among their celebrity investors, and a goal of having more than 700 locations, as being "no joke."

"No Joke" seems applicable when you see that logo: It's a rubber chicken.

WHAT'S WITH THE RUBBER CHICKEN AT DAVE'S HOT CHICKEN?

The story goes that on at least one occasion, the Fire marshal did the inspection for a location and found a rubber chicken in the fire extinguisher cabinet. It seems the tradition continues in Fort Collins:

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Clearly, this is not an official fire extinguisher cabinet, but shows the company's commitment to fun.

WHERE IS DAVE'S HOT CHICKEN IN FORT COLLINS, COLORADO?

They are at 1700 South College, at the corner of College and Parker, just south of Prospect.

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Dave's Hot Chicken's menu is pretty simple; Tenders alone or as a slider, in six levels of heat: from "Lite Mild" to "Reaper."

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They have plenty of seating inside Dave's Hot Chicken in Fort Collins, as well as a big patio out front, to the west.

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RELATED: IN-N-OUT ANNOUNCES NEXT COLORADO SPOT

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TSM/Dave Jensen
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When it comes to fun, Dave's has this theme of that rubber chicken as being a "space adventurer."

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TSM/Dave Jensen
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Dave's-Hot-Chicken-Fort-Collins-Colorado
TSM/Dave Jensen
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Dave's-Hot-Chicken-Fort-Collins-Colorado
TSM/Dave Jensen
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