Canadian hip-hop artist Drake and actor Samuel L. Jackson have become the latest minority stakeholders in Dave’s Hot Chicken fried-chicken chain restaurant.
“I tried the food, and it was amazing. After meeting the founders and hearing their story, I jumped at the opportunity to invest,” Drake said in a statement according to Bloomberg.
Dave’s Hot Chicken follows a marketing strategy surrounding celebrity-driven advertising, similar to that of Blaze Pizza, which shares a leadership team with Dave’s and includes NBA All-Star player LeBron James as an investor.
The young rapper’s involvement is more than likely to boost the chain’s popularity. Drake’s recent album, “Certified Lover Boy,” released earlier this month, sold an estimate of 613,000 copies in the U.S. just within the first week. The “Hotline Bling” singer also has a massive following of 39 million on Twitter and 93 million on Instagram.
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The artist will reportedly hold ownership of less than 50% of the company but will be among the most prominent investors alongside Jackson and Boston Red Sox chairman Tom Werner. The company has invested “more than $10 million” to expand in the U.S. and has founded and led other restaurants, including popular chains, Wetzel’s Pretzels and Blaze Pizza.
The restaurant chain first launched in 2017 and has opened 22 locations mainly in California but plans on expanding to 25 more by the end of the year to include cities like Chicago and Houston.
Drake was recently featured on the chain’s social media after they posted a photo of him along with an article sharing the news, featuring the rapper eating chicken tenders, pickles, and fries.
Dave’s Hot Chicken sells various finger foods, including sliders, crinkle-cut fries, and spicy tenders. The company has heavily advertised and gained popularity through social media channels such as Instagram and Twitter and has sold franchise rights to over 500 locations in the U.S. and Canada.
