The Nashville-style chicken brand, which will make its London debut this weekend with a restaurant on the corner of Shaftesbury Avenue and Rupert Street, says it chose to add the Reaper spice to its UK menu following demand from fans.
It comes after the US chain initially said it was unsure whether to serve its Reaper-level spice mix in the UK after taste tests left diners ‘in tears’.
The Reaper is named after the Carolina Reaper chili pepper, which has an average Scoville Heat Unit of over 2.2 million, over 300 times hotter than a jalapeño.
As is the case with the group’s US restaurants, UK diners will have to sign a waiver ‘acknowledging the risks that come with consuming the intense heat of the Reaper’ before ordering it.
“The Reaper is extremely hot,” warns Jim Attwood, managing director of Dave’s Hot Chicken UK.
“We’ve seen grown adults cry and others give up after a single bite.
“Yet despite our warnings, we have received a huge amount of requests begging for it to be on the UK menu. And, who are we to deny people the full Dave’s Hot Chicken experience?
“So, we’re flying it over from the US and will have it on the menu from the day we open.”
Dave’s Hot Chicken was founded by childhood friends Dave Kopushyan, Arman Oganesyan and Tommy Rubenyan in 2017 as a pop up in LA and went on to open its first bricks and mortar site in East Hollywood the same year.
It now boasts more than 200 sites across America, as well as locations in Canada and the Middle East.
The US chain, which counts actor Samuel L. Jackson and singer Usher among its backers, specialises in hand-breaded chicken that’s spiced to order.
Dave’s Hot Chicken’s UK menu will feature jumbo hot chicken sliders and tenders, along with sides of house-made kale slaw, mac and cheese, and seasoned French fries.
There will be seven spice levels available, ranging from No Spice to Lite Mild, Mild, Medium, Hot, Extra Hot, and Reaper.
“We’ve worked tirelessly with our UK team to deliver the bold flavours and tongue-tingling spice that have made us a cult sensation here in the USA,” says Bill Phelps, CEO of Dave’s Hot Chicken.
“And we’re not just bringing the heat – we’re bringing the full Dave’s experience over for Brits.”
Dave’s Hot Chicken is launching in the UK under a partnership with Azzurri Group, with its first London outpost opening on Saturday (7 December).
The group has previously said it is aiming to open 60 sites under the brand across the UK & Ireland in the coming years.
