Dave's Hot Chicken Plans Three Wyoming Locations in Cheyenne, Laramie, Casper

Laramie is on the map for Dave's Hot Chicken, though franchise partner Luke Prime acknowledges the college town presents the most complicated site challenge among the three Wyoming cities the Montana Chicken Company is targeting for the fast-growing Nashville-style chicken chain.

The franchise group, owned by Benjamin Quinlan, Al Graziano, and brothers Wyatt and Luke Prime, signed an agreement with Dave's Hot Chicken in October 2025 to develop three Wyoming restaurants in Cheyenne, Laramie and Casper. No locations have been finalized in Laramie yet, and the group has flagged its market conditions as "somewhat trickier" than the other two cities. By contrast, a Cheyenne deal is reportedly close to being finalized, and the Casper location is likely to land at or near the Blackmore Marketplace on the city's east side.

Luke Prime said the group's priority is visibility. "We want to be right in your face," he said. "Not a lot of people know about us. So we want to have a lot of visibility, a lot of traffic, so that people can see us, come in and try us. We hope that we turn guests into fans, and they end up coming back after they try it the first time."

No firm opening date exists for any of the three Wyoming locations. Prime is hoping to have the Cheyenne restaurant open in mid- to late 2026, and said the group would accelerate whichever market becomes available first. "We would like to start with Cheyenne, but if we get an opportunity in Casper, or an opportunity in Laramie, we're going to jump on it," he said. "We want to open up as soon as possible and start feeding people in Wyoming Dave's Hot Chicken."

The Wyoming push follows the group's expansion across Montana, where its Billings location is open and its Missoula restaurant was slated to open in November 2025, with Great Falls planned next. Wyatt Prime logged significant travel scouting Wyoming sites before the agreement was announced, according to reporting from Oil City News.

Dave's Hot Chicken CEO Bill Phelps described Montana Chicken Company as among the brand's most engaged operators. "Ben, Wyatt, Luke, and Al represent the next generation of Dave's Hot Chicken operators," Phelps said. "I'm continually impressed by how involved this group is in the day-to-day operations. They're in their restaurants, leading their teams, and making sure every guest has the kind of experience that defines our brand." Quinlan framed the Wyoming move as an organic extension of the group's Montana work. "We've seen firsthand how much people love Dave's in Montana," he said.

Dave's Hot Chicken was founded in 2017 in the Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles by Dave Kopushyan, Arman Oganesyan, and brothers Tommy and Gary Rubenyan. The chain built its menu around Nashville-style chicken tenders, sliders and bites, with spice levels running from "No Spice" to "Reaper," alongside house-made kale slaw, mac and cheese, and fries or cheese fries. Its model drew early inspiration from In-N-Out Burger's stripped-down approach. The chain has grown to more than 300 locations nationally, with nearly 200 more in the pipeline, making it one of the fastest-growing restaurant concepts in the country.

Montana Chicken Company is described by Dave's corporate as one of the youngest franchise groups in the system, a distinction that has not slowed its pace of development across the northern Rockies.