CUSTOMER STORY

Dave’s Hot Chicken: Managing a Red-Hot Expansion with Leasecake

Hear Dave’s Hot Chicken’s success story as they are on a mission to open 1000 locations.

Background

Dave’s Hot Chicken started as a small Hollywood-based venture and has rapidly grown into an internationally recognized brand with over 218 locations across the United States and abroad. The franchise has built its success on a commitment to simplicity, quality, and a mission of “changing people’s lives.” With ambitious plans to open 110 additional locations next year, Dave’s partners with multi-unit operators who share its values of trust, operational excellence, and people-first culture.

To manage this explosive growth while maintaining operational consistency and controlling real estate risk, Dave’s sought a modern solution for lease and location management.

Dave’s Hot Chicken is undergoing remarkable growth, with plans to expand to 1,000 locations in the near future.

With high stakes involved, missing a lease renewal or overlooking a financial obligation could jeopardize their progress. To address this, Dave’s Hot Chicken required a robust solution to keep corporate leases in order and to offer franchisees a tool to ensure they remain on track.

Challenges

The rapid expansion of Dave’s Hot Chicken into 12 states and multiple international markets brought a host of complex challenges, particularly in real estate and operational management. As the brand scaled, its leadership team faced several hurdles:

Managing a Growing Portfolio of Diverse Leases
With over 218 locations operating in different markets, tracking lease obligations became increasingly cumbersome. Each lease had unique terms, deadlines, and compliance requirements. Managing these details manually or with disconnected systems led to inefficiencies and increased the risk of costly oversights.
Ensuring Site Selection Success
Choosing the right location is critical in the fast-casual dining space, as poor real estate decisions can impact long-term success. Dave’s needed to ensure that franchisees selected prime sites aligned with its target demographics, market trends, and future growth potential. However, achieving this consistency across diverse markets—ranging from urban centers to suburban neighborhoods—required real-time data and collaborative tools.
Supporting Multi-Unit Operators with Varied Needs
Dave’s multi-unit operators often managed multiple brands and territories, adding another layer of complexity to their operations. These franchisees needed a platform that could integrate seamlessly into their existing workflows while addressing the unique demands of Dave’s rapid growth model.
Maintaining Operational Consistency Across Locations
One of Dave’s defining characteristics is its ability to deliver a consistent guest experience regardless of location. However, as the brand expanded geographically, ensuring operational alignment across diverse teams became a significant challenge. This required effective communication, robust training systems, and tools that provided visibility into operations at every location.
Navigating Rapid Growth Without Overextending Resources
Opening new locations at the pace of 80–110 stores per year demanded a balance between speed and precision. Dave’s leadership team had to scale operations without sacrificing quality or increasing the administrative burden on franchisees and corporate staff.

"Leasecake makes managing our leases and real estate portfolio so much easier. With locations across different states and unique lease terms, the platform’s notifications and organization tools have been a game-changer for staying ahead of critical dates and rent changes. It’s streamlined, user-friendly, and helps us focus on what we do best—delivering an exceptional experience for our guests."

Carolyne Canady

Chief Development Officer, Dave’s Hot Chicken

Solution

Dave’s Hot Chicken partnered with Leasecake, a lease and location management platform, to centralize and streamline real estate operations. Key features of Leasecake that supported Dave’s included:

Centralized Lease Management: Leasecake aggregated all leases across locations, making critical information easily accessible and ensuring deadlines were never missed.
Automated Notifications: Franchisees and corporate teams received timely reminders about rent changes, renewals, and compliance deadlines.
User-Friendly Interface: Leasecake’s intuitive design enabled easy adoption by multi-unit operators, brokers, and local teams.
Enhanced Collaboration: Real-time data access improved communication between Dave’s corporate team, franchisees, and brokers during site selection and lease negotiations.

Results

Reduced Real Estate Risk

By consolidating lease information, Dave’s minimized missed deadlines and financial risks. Automated notifications ensured proactive management of rent adjustments, compliance requirements, and lease renewals.

Operational Efficiency Across 12 States

With Leasecake’s centralized platform, Dave’s corporate and franchise teams streamlined coordination across multiple states. This facilitated consistent operations and informed decision-making, saving significant time and resources.

Seamless Expansion with Strategic Insights

Leasecake empowered Dave’s to strategically analyze potential sites, considering demographic data, traffic patterns, and competitor locations. This insight supported informed site selection, driving successful expansions in key markets like Atlanta and internationally.

Leasecake is a top rated solution

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