Dave’s Hot Chicken opens Friday, Pizza Guys coming soon to Visalia
Lauren Jennings
Visalia is getting ready to welcome a few restaurants to town, including a new chicken joint and pizza place.
The eateries will be located next door on south Mooney Boulevard — right outside of the Sequoia Mall, in the former Mainland Surf building.
Dave’s Hot Chicken
After a few months of construction, Dave's Hot Chicken is getting ready to open its doors this week.
The chicken joint started after four friends, in search of the perfect hot chicken, scrounged together $900 in 2017 for a pop-up food stand in an East Hollywood parking lot.
Social media and locals instantly fell in love with the food, and soon after opening, Dave’s Hot Chicken had lines wrapped around the block with wait times lasting hours.
The chicken joint rose in popularity due to its simplistic menu, offering customers four combo options:
- Two tenders with fries and sliced bread
- Two sliders with fries and kale slaw
- One tender and one slider with fries with kale slaw and sliced bread
- One slider with fries and kale slaw
Customers customize combos by selecting the heat level they prefer, ranging from no spice to the reaper — with options like mild, medium and hot in between. Each combo is served with pickles and Dave’s famous sauce.
Since opening, the restaurant chain has expanded throughout portions of California and can now be found in more than 20 states. Visalia looks to be one of two locations between Los Angeles and San Jose.
Each restaurant has a unique design inside. For Visalia, the artwork looks like it reflects the area – a red barn, surrounded by acres of agriculture.
Dave’s Hot Chicken will be open from 10:30 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday and from 10:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday at 3301 S. Mooney Blvd.
Pizza Guys
Pizza Guys opened its doors in 1986, offering customers pizza using dough made fresh each day. The eatery also uses mozzarella and vine-ripened tomatoes, both sourced from areas throughout California.
Beyond offering customizable and signature pizzas, the restaurant offers wings, garlic rolls, cheesy bread, calzones, pasta, salads and cinnamon twists.
The chain now has more than 60 locations in California — including Bakersfield, Porterville and northern Fresno – as well as a few restaurants scattered throughout Nevada and Oregon.
Although there is no opening date listed on Pizza Guys' website, the eatery is currently accepting applications for the Visalia location. The restaurant is located right next door to Dave's Hot Chicken.