A fried chicken brand in the US, with annual sales of approximately $19 billion, initially started as a small stand with just three people. Recently, the brand caught the eye of a private equity firm, which plans to acquire a majority stake for nearly $1 billion (about $29.9 billion).

According to CNBC, one of the founders, Arman Oganesyan, who was previously a stand-up comedian earning only $50 a night, proposed the idea of selling fried chicken to his friends Dave Kopushyan and Tommy Rubenyan in 2017.

The three raised $900 as startup capital, spending months learning how to fry chicken and eventually developed a unique recipe. With insufficient funds to buy a food truck, they set up shop in a parking lot in East Hollywood, Los Angeles, and initially struggled with sales. However, after being featured by food critic Farley Elliott in Eater Los Angeles, their fame skyrocketed, and a few months later, they reported daily sales of thousands of dollars.

By 2019, Dave’s Hot Chicken attracted investment from a group that provided significant capital, enabling expansion into countries like the UK and Canada. Reports indicate that by 2024, the brand's revenue in the US is projected to exceed $600 million, and the private equity firm Roark Capital is set to acquire a majority stake, leading the CEO to exclaim, 'What we’ve done is crazy.'