Houston TX Hot Chicken takes its heat international with UK debut
The cult Nashville hot chicken brand enters the UK through a development deal with PizzaExpress, with three locations opening in 2026 and 50 planned over the next three years.
"Working with PizzaExpress to expand internationally is exciting. No one knows fried chicken better than HHC, and no one knows the UK better than PizzaExpress. We're ready to bring something unexpected to UK consumers." — Brian Simowitz, President of Houston TX Hot Chicken
"HHC has built something rare with genuine cultural energy. Taking that to the UK through PizzaExpress—with their scale and market knowledge—accelerates the brand's trajectory. This is a significant moment." — Andrew K. Smith, Managing Director of Savory Fund
"We're thrilled to add Houston Hot Chicken to our brands. It brings bold flavor, real energy, and an experience that stands apart." — Paula MacKenzie, Group CEO of PizzaExpress
The partnership pairs HHC's cult-favorite brand and proven fast-casual model with PizzaExpress's unmatched operational infrastructure and deep understanding of the UK consumer — a combination the two companies are betting will shake up Britain's QSR landscape.
HHC has built its US following on the strength of an unapologetically bold menu and an electric brand experience that blends craveable food with car culture and social-media-ready energy. The brand's signature offering — the Original Hot Chicken Sandwich — is available across a range of heat levels, culminating in "Houston, We Have a Problem!," a waiver-required 2 million Scoville unit experience that has become a viral phenomenon at every market entry. The full menu includes hot chicken sandwiches, tenders and waffles, nuggets, loaded fries, house-made lemonades, and HHC's famous house sauce.
The UK expansion marks a major milestone for HHC following a period of explosive domestic growth. Founded in 2021 by Edmond Barseghian, the brand has scaled to locations across Arizona, California, Nevada, Washington, Texas, Utah, Idaho, Michigan, and Ohio, and has cultivated a fanbase of nearly 400,000 social media followers nationwide. The brand was recently ranked on FastCasual's 2026 Top 100 Movers & Shakers and has earned industry recognition including a No. 217 ranking on the Inc. 5000, the Hot Concepts Award from Nation's Restaurant News, and Breakout Brand honors on the Franchise Times Top 400.
HHC's US growth is backed by Savory Fund, a Utah-based private equity firm with over $750 million in assets under management and an 18-year track record of scaling high-potential restaurant brands.
Further details on UK opening locations and dates will be announced in the coming weeks.
For more information, visit www.hhc.ooo.
Brian Simowitz
Houston TX Hot Chicken
President
6847 Ponderosa Way #100
Las Vegas, NV 89118
media@hhc.ooo
Andrew K. Smith
Savory Fund
Managing Director
14761 S. Future Way #350
Draper, UT 84020
info@savorymanagement.com
Paula MacKenzie
PizzaExpress
Group CEO
124 Southwark Street
London, SE1 0SW
pizzaexpress@fticonsulting.com
Houston TX Hot Chicken (HHC) prides itself on serving all-natural, buttermilk marinated, cooked-to-order chicken to its guests and to be one of the most exciting hot chicken brands in the U.S. and beyond — one guest, one city, one craveable meal at a time. With a menu featuring hot chicken in the form of sandwiches, tenders and more, HHC offers high-quality food alongside an exciting and elevated service standard. In recent years, the restaurant group has experienced rapid growth with locations across the country in Arizona, California, Nevada, Washington, Texas, Utah, Idaho, Michigan, and Ohio. HHC plans to continue opening new locations across the country in 2026 and beyond.
Learn more at www.hhc.ooo.
Savory Fund is an innovative private equity firm that combines over $750 million in assets under management with a growth playbook and expertise developed over 18 years of operating in the restaurant industry. Savory partners with high-potential, profitable, emerging restaurant brands to deliver financial capital, industry expertise, growth and revenue opportunities, profitability enhancements and new location development. Savory Fund is currently invested in 12 brands: Swig, R&R BBQ, PINCHO, Via 313 Pizzeria, Houston TX Hot Chicken, Mo’ Bettahs Hawaiian Style Food, Saigon Hustle, Hash Kitchen, The Sicilian Butcher, South Block, Hawkers, and Bonrue Bakery.
Learn more at www.savoryfund.com.
PizzaExpress is one of the leading casual dining operators in the UK and Ireland, operating nearly 500 locations across the region and more than 100 international sites across 14 territories. Founded in London in 1965, the company has established itself as an iconic brand with a significant presence throughout Europe and beyond.
Learn more at www.pizzaexpress.com.