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A new chicken chain will expand into the Land of Enchantment for the first time this fall.

Dave鈥檚 Hot Chicken, a Nashville-style chicken chain, will open its first New Mexico location on sa国际传媒官网网页入口鈥檚 West Side at 3703 Ellison NW, the company confirmed to the Journal in August.

The restaurant is currently slated to open in October, according to Deryl Pangelinan, COO of DHC Licensing, the chain鈥檚 first and largest franchising group.

鈥淲e鈥檙e really excited to get it open in New Mexico,鈥� Pangelinan said. 鈥淭his is going to be the first location in the entire state of New Mexico, and for us, that鈥檚 history, and we鈥檙e excited to do that.鈥�

DHC Licensing was established in 2020, just three years after the chicken chain was launched out of a parking lot in East Hollywood. The founders 鈥� three childhood friends in their 20s 鈥� started the chicken venture with only $900, a couple of folding tables and a portable fryer, according to the Dave鈥檚 Hot Chicken .

Today, the chain has more than 340 locations across the United States, Qatar, Dubai, Canada and the United Kingdom. DHC Licensing has signed agreements for more than 80 locations and has so far opened 22.

The franchise group is bringing the chicken chain鈥檚 Nashville-style tenders and crinkle-cut fries to sa国际传媒官网网页入口 with help from Isaac Montoya, an sa国际传媒官网网页入口 resident who serves as DHC Licensing鈥檚 operating partner for New Mexico, El Paso and Louisiana. He is also one of the biggest franchisees for Cheba Hut.

New Mexico鈥檚 first Dave鈥檚 Hot Chicken, a 2,000-square-foot space situated in suite C of a property that also houses Great Clips and Cold Stone Creamery, was formerly a Panda Express that closed after the company opened a newly built restaurant nearby at 10126 Coors NW.

The sa国际传媒官网网页入口 restaurant is expected to employ between 60 and 70 people to begin with, but employment will likely land at about 30 to 45 employees after the location gets settled, Pangelinan said.

The COO did not share the exact cost of renovating and opening the space, but said it typically costs between $1.2 million and $1.5 million to open a franchise.

The West Side location will not be sa国际传媒官网网页入口鈥檚 only Dave鈥檚 Hot Chicken. The chain will also construct a 2,400-square-foot Uptown location at 6900 Indian School NE near Target and ABQ Uptown, Pangelinan said. It has not been determined when the Uptown location will break ground, but Pangelinan said the restaurant is expected to open sometime late next year.

The group is also considering Las Cruces and Santa Fe for potential locations.

鈥淲e have a passion for introducing Dave鈥檚 Hot Chicken to the world,鈥� Pangelinan said. 鈥淎ny opportunity we can to introduce it to new markets, new states, new cities, we take pride in that.鈥�