PizzaExpress announces location of first Houston Hot Chicken site

PizzaExpress has revealed that the first UK site of American fried chicken brand Houston Hot Chicken (HHC) will open in Stevenage this autumn, marking the start of an ambitious rollout of 50 restaurants over the next three years.

The high street pizza chain announced earlier this summer that it had secured the master franchise rights to the fast-growing US brand across Europe, as it looks to capitalise on the booming fried chicken market alongside operators such as Dave’s Hot Chicken, Popeyes and Wingstop.

The acquisition of the HHC franchise complements PizzaExpress’s existing delivery-only chicken brand, Mac & Wings, which launched in February.

The Stevenage restaurant will be followed by two further HHC openings before the end of the year.

When unveiling the expansion plans, Paula MacKenzie, group chief executive of PizzaExpress, Mac & Wings and HHC, said: “We’re thrilled to be adding Houston Hot Chicken to our house of brands, bringing something truly distinctive to the UK market: bold flavour, real energy and an experience that stands apart. This is chicken unlike you’ve seen it before.”

Brian Simowitz, president of HHC, added: “Working with the PizzaExpress team to expand for the first time internationally is truly an exciting moment for us. No one knows fried chicken better than HHC, and no one knows the UK market better than PizzaExpress, making this the perfect partnership. We can’t wait to fly the coop and land in the UK, bringing something unexpected and exciting to chicken consumers.”

HHC was founded in 2020 by Houston Crosta and Edmond Barseghian and has grown to almost 30 locations across the US. The Nashville hot chicken brand is known for its Texas-style chicken sandwiches, tenders and nuggets, with spice levels ranging from mild to its signature “Houston, We Have A Problem” heat level, which requires customers to sign a waiver before ordering.

HHC is backed by Savory Fund, a restaurant-focused private equity firm whose investments include soda chain Swig.