News broke early this year that Pollo Tropical, the Miami-based Latin quick-service chain, had suddenly closed its last three locations in Northeast Florida. It was a sad day for Pollo Tropical fans, but there is some good news on the horizon. One of these former Pollo Tropical restaurants, the building located at 730 Skymarks at Jacksonville’s River City Marketplace, will soon be home to a new outpost of the smash-hit chicken brand Dave’s Hot Chicken.
Franchisee Jesse Allen, who debuted the brand in Jacksonville in recent years, told What Now on Monday that permits have been issued and construction on the new Dave’s Hot Chicken has begun.
How has the reception been for the brand in the area? What Now asked Allen.
“It’s been great,” Allen said. “And we’re really improving operationally too. We’ve got a great base of people; we’ve promoted from within. In this location we’re probably going to hire about 60 people.”
The new location will feature both indoor and outdoor seating and will keep Pollo Tropical’s drive-thru set up.
“We’re keeping everything that made the site really good. The building was well-built, and the landlord is awesome, so the infrastructure is fantastic.”
The Dave’s Hot Chicken Menu features meals like the Dave’s #1: 2 Tenders w/ Fries and the Dave’s #2: 2 Sliders w/ Fries. Tenders are served with sliced bread, pickles, and a side of Dave’s Sauce, while sliders come on a potato bun with kale slaw pickle, drizzled with Dave’s Sauce. These can be served up along with sides like Mac & Cheese, Cheese Fries, and more—and finished off with Top-Loaded Shakes in varieties like Oreo, M&M, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
On top of all that, Dave’s recently debuted its new Saucy Bites: “all-white meat boneless chicken wings tossed in your choice of sauce.” In other news, it has also launched its Ranch and Spicy Ranch sauces: “And people have been wanting that for years,” said Allen.
You can keep up with all things Dave’s Hot Chicken by following @daveshotchicken on Instagram.
