Peoria's chicken sandwich wars are heating up. Dave's Hot Chicken, the fast-casual chain known for its fiery Nashville-style tenders, is preparing to open its first Peoria location, moving into a shopping center space once occupied by Arby's near Sterling Avenue.
The new restaurant is planned for the Westlake Shopping Center, according to centralillinoisproud.com, which reports the site is where an Arby's used to stand.
Dave's Hot Chicken traces its roots back to 2017, when it started as a small food stand built around a homemade recipe for Nashville hot chicken, the outlet notes. It has since grown into what centralillinoisproud.com describes as a fast-casual restaurant with hundreds of stores coast to coast.
A Spicy Addition to Peoria
Peoria diners can look forward to Dave's Hot Chicken when the restaurant opens.
Dave's Hot Chicken is known for its fiery chicken as it expands into new markets.
A New Front in Peoria's Chicken Rivalry
Dave's won't be alone in the neighborhood when it comes to fried chicken. The planned restaurant sits nearly directly across the street from Raising Cane's, according to centralillinoisproud.com, with the rival chicken chain having opened there in December 2025, per pjstar.com. The Journal Star also notes the storefront's proximity to Westlake Shopping Center.
Central Illinois chicken fans already have a taste of what's coming, since a Dave's Hot Chicken location has been operating in nearby Normal, Illinois, Dave's Hot Chicken reported Dave's Hot Chicken. Peoria's version will mark the brand's next step into the region, adding another stop for fans of the spicy tenders that built its national following.
