Dave's Hot Chicken plans to open its doors in Pittsfield on October 9, bringing Nashville-style tenders, sandwiches and a seven-level spice lineup to 685 Merrill Road. The restaurant is hiring now, with hopes of bringing on 60 to 70 new employees before the doors open at The Shops at Unkamet Brook.
According to The Berkshire Eagle, the restaurant will join The Shops at Unkamet Brook, opening at 685 Merrill Road on Oct. 9. The chain is owned locally by GQ Capital, which operates 16 Dave's Hot Chicken locations throughout New England, and the Pittsfield outpost will become the 18th in Massachusetts, per the company's website as cited by the Eagle. The building previously housed El Habanero Mexican Grill, and before that, Papa Gino's served pizza there for 47 years.
As first reported by iBerkshires, the chain is one of several eateries to recently open in Pittsfield, joining a cluster of new businesses that have sprung up on North Street this year. Aura Coffee and Cocktails opened at 41 North Street, The Grand opened at 156 North Street, and Sanctum Gallery Cafe opened at 146 North Street, with all three debuting on North Street over the summer, per iBerkshires.
What's on the Menu, and When You Can Get It
The menu is mainly based around crispy chicken tenders and sandwiches, the Eagle reports, with cauliflower substitutes, mac and cheese, mozzarella planks and fries rounding things out. Spice levels run the full gamut, and staff were careful to note the chain isn't just for heat-seekers. “We do have not-spicy chicken. You can come in and get no-spice or mild,” a representative told the Eagle. Separately, the chain's own site describes its restaurants as serving halal chicken with seven spice levels ranging from Not Hot to Reaper, alongside Nashville hot chicken, tenders, sliders, bites, fries and shakes.
Hours will run from 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday, stretching later on weekends — on Friday and Saturday, the restaurant will remain open until 2 a.m., according to the same Eagle report. Signs of the build-out have been visible for weeks: the outside of the building has been painted white with a red awning, and Live 95.9 reported spotting two packages at the site addressed to “Dave's Hot Chicken, 685 Merrill Road, Pittsfield,” with US Mail shipping labels confirming the destination. That same outlet had previously cautioned that nobody official from the company had confirmed anything publicly, a note that predates the Eagle's since-reported opening date.
A Chain Expanding Fast — and Hitting Some Turbulence
Dave's Hot Chicken started out as a pop-up food stand in 2017 and has since expanded to hundreds of locations across the United States and abroad, the Eagle notes. The brand's growth has been rapid enough that even its own reporting diverges on the numbers: Delish says the company added 120 new restaurants in 2025 and projects 131 more franchised openings in 2026, with Massachusetts and New York each on track for 10 new locations, while a separate account from QSR Magazine puts last year's opening count at a record 136 restaurants, with the brand reaching its 400th location via a debut in Abu Dhabi.
The expansion follows a major ownership shift: Roark Capital acquired Dave's in a $1 billion deal in June 2025, after which longtime president and COO Jim Bitticks was named CEO, per QSR Magazine. The chain has also signed an agreement with Azzurri Group to develop 180 restaurants across 10 European countries. But growth hasn't been without strain — QSR Magazine reports that TIG Reaper LLC and three affiliated companies, Reaper Time PA 1 LLC, Reaper Time PA 2 LLC and Reaper Time NJ 1 LLC, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on September 21 while seeking to reorganize their Dave's Hot Chicken restaurant portfolio. The franchisee said it is current on all franchise fees and royalties owed to Dave's, according to the same report.
Closer to Home, a Logan Airport Landing
Pittsfield's new location follows closely on the heels of the chain's first East Coast airport outpost. Dave's Hot Chicken welcomed its newest location at Boston Logan International Airport in August, according to MassLive. That spot serves chicken sliders, tenders and fries alongside breakfast items such as chicken and waffles, a breakfast burrito and a breakfast sandwich, with spice levels ranging from No Spice to Reaper. At the time, MassLive reported Dave's Hot Chicken had 14 other Massachusetts stores, including three in Boston — a count that will grow again once Pittsfield's doors open.
