The craveable creation adds Dave’s creamy mac & cheese to its signature slider for just $2 more
From Parking Lot Secret to Official Menu Item: Dave’s Launches the Mac-Loaded Slider
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Before Dave’s Hot Chicken became a global cult favorite, it began with three friends, portable fryers and folding tables in an East Hollywood parking lot. During those early days, guests began ordering a secret menu creation known as “The Big Shot,” a Dave’s chicken slider topped with creamy mac & cheese.
Nearly a decade later, that parking-lot favorite has taken on a life of its own on social media. After guest-generated videos featuring the combination racked up millions of views across TikTok and Instagram, Dave’s Hot Chicken is making the worst-kept secret official with the launch of the limited-time Mac-Loaded Slider.
The Mac-Loaded Slider takes Dave’s craveable chicken slider and piles it high with the brand’s rich, cheesy mac & cheese. For just $2 more, the over-the-top combination delivers the perfect balance of crispy, juicy hot chicken, creamy cheese and bold flavor in every bite.
As the creation spread across TikTok and Instagram, guest-generated videos featuring the combination racked up millions of views, highlighting the ways Dave’s fans continue to make the brand’s craveable chicken their own. Now, the worst-kept secret is officially on the menu.
As with every Dave’s Hot Chicken meal, guests can customize their experience across the brand’s signature spice levels, from Not Hot to the legendary Reaper. Whether guests are looking to cool down the heat with creamy mac & cheese or add even more flavor to their favorite slider, the Mac-Loaded Slider offers a new way to enjoy Dave’s craveable chicken.
“Our fans are always finding new ways to enjoy Dave’s, and we’re constantly looking for ways to give them more of what they crave,” said Jim Bitticks, CEO of Dave’s Hot Chicken. “The Mac-Loaded Slider takes a fan-favorite social media creation and makes it official, bringing together our craveable hot chicken and creamy mac & cheese in one seriously indulgent bite.”
The Mac-Loaded Slider is now available at participating Dave’s Hot Chicken locations for an additional $2. For more information, visit www.daveshotchicken.com or follow @daveshotchicken on social media.
About Dave’s Hot Chicken
In a modern-day American dream story, three childhood friends, Chef Dave Kopushyan, Arman Oganesyan and Tommy Rubenyan, scraped together $900 to launch Dave’s Hot Chicken in a parking lot, portable fryers and folding tables in tow, in 2017. Dave’s Hot Chicken quickly took off, opening an East Hollywood brick-and-mortar restaurant shortly after, with support from Tommy’s brother, Gary. In 2019, the team struck a deal with Wetzel’s Pretzels co-founder and former CEO, Bill Phelps, to begin franchising the Dave’s Hot Chicken concept, with Billboard’s Artist of the Decade, Drake, investing in the brand as well. The company has sold the rights to more than 1,500 franchise locations in the U.S., Middle East, Europe and Canada and will open 150-plus locations this year. Harkening back to an Eater LA blog that helped propel early interest in the brand, the company’s mission is to “blow their minds.”
Media Contact
Joshua Levitt
PR for Dave’s Hot Chicken
josh@fikacollective.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5f6c39d7-78f4-4cb8-9d13-5e865321d7ed
