Baba’s Hot Chicken began in 2019, when founder Mahmoud “Mike” Hemood started selling sandwiches from his apartment. He told the UCR School of Business that his first sale took place on May 8 of that year. Hemood originally launched the concept in Fontana, then moved it to Rancho Cucamonga before pursuing Riverside Food Lab. The business later opened a storefront at Riverside Food Lab, according to the university.
Early growth and franchise plans
In 2021, Baba’s had locations in Bellflower, San Diego, Costa Mesa and Bakersfield, Hemood told UCR. Around that time, the company was also considering five locations in San Diego County, according to Eater San Diego.
In his UCR interview, Hemood said the company was preparing to franchise. He described his work as developing internal guides and employee information, while his partners handled franchising.
Plans for new restaurants
Baba’s says it has 38 U.S. restaurant locations under contract. These are planned developments, not open restaurants, and their openings depend on site development, construction and other requirements, according to StreetInsider. The reported development markets include California, Nevada, Georgia, Texas, Illinois, Ohio and Tennessee, as well as the Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia region.
The company’s plans include a flagship at Irvine’s Great Park and additional locations in Roseville and Napa. A Las Vegas restaurant now under construction would be Baba’s first drive-thru, the StreetInsider report says.
Franchise arrangements
Baba’s first made multi-unit development agreements with operators and is now also accepting single-unit franchisees, according to StreetInsider. The company says it has received more than 1,000 franchise inquiries and applications. The report names Ommar Choudhry and Kasem Rasheed as leaders of franchise-system development and says they oversee work including franchisee acquisition, restaurant planning, construction coordination, training and ongoing support.
