Dave's Hot Chicken has locked in its launch plan for West Seattle, with previews set for November 18 and a grand opening at 10 a.m. on Friday, November 20, in the Alaska Junction. The new restaurant is moving into the former Haymaker space, adding another fast-casual chicken option to a stretch of California Ave SW that's already seen plenty of turnover this year.
The preview and grand-opening dates were confirmed in a West Seattle Blog biznote update, which reports that “Dave's will have previews on November 18” ahead of “its grand opening at 10 am Friday, November 20.” The outlet also confirms the franchisees are planning to open Dave's Hot Chicken in the former Haymaker space in the West Seattle Junction.
The exact address for the new location is 4704–4706 California Ave SW, according to a report from Westside Seattle, which places the spot in the heart of the Alaska Junction. That report names Keshap Group as the franchise owner preparing to welcome the community to the new storefront.
What to Expect at the November 18 Previews
Westside Seattle's report describes the November 18 preview day as featuring two separate shift windows throughout the day, though exact times weren't specified. The same report notes Dave's Hot Chicken plans to bring late-night dining options to the block past 10:00 PM once it's fully open, a detail that could make it a go-to stop for Junction night owls.
The timeline hasn't been static. The franchisees had previously expected to open in mid-November, and an earlier West Seattle Blog report from October said the team was planning to open on November 12. The most recent reporting instead schedules the grand opening for November 20, though it's not clear from available reporting whether that November 12 plan was formally revised or why the date shifted.
Franchise Owner Eyes Regional Growth
The West Seattle location isn't a one-off bet for Keshap Group. In an interview with 425 Business, Keshap said her group is aiming to expand its Dave's Hot Chicken agreement to about 15 units across Western Washington, suggesting the Alaska Junction spot is an early piece of a much larger regional footprint.
Gong Cha's Opening Date Still a Mystery
Dave's Hot Chicken isn't the only new arrival residents have been watching for in the same stretch of the Junction. The franchisee behind a planned Gong Cha location most recently expected a soft opening in mid-November with a grand opening in early December, but the station's report notes that signs at the site don't mention a Gong Cha date, and people on site didn't know when it would open either.
The flurry of new food options follows a broader trend of openings along California Ave SW this year. Per the same West Seattle Blog account, chicken chain Starbird had opened in the Junction just one week before the earlier report on Dave's Hot Chicken's planned debut, adding to a run of chicken-focused newcomers competing for attention on the same commercial strip.
