Hot Chickz has 1.1 million TikTok followers. Image via Facebook

TikTok-famous Nashville Hot Chicken franchise The Red Chickz has announced the signing of a franchise agreement for Fresno.

Recognition from national publications including QSR and Nation’s Restaurant News has propelled The Red Chickz into rapid expansion, opening locations across California, as well as Nevada, Arizona and Texas.

“We could not be happier to expand and share our unique take on Nashville Hot Chicken with more hungry customers in California and Texas,” said Shawn Lalehzarian, founder of The Red Chickz. “The response to our mouth-watering content on TikTok has been overwhelmingly positive, with many users begging us to open locations in their cities, and we are so proud to have found franchise partners who will help us do just that.”

Red Chickz’s TikTok videos put a spotlight on the food. The account has 1.1 million followers and nearly 30 million likes. 

After opening the original location in Downtown Los Angeles in 2018, Lalehzarian also plans to open a new restaurant in Culver City in early June.

Founded in 2018 by Lalehzarian, an Iranian immigrant who has worked for years in the restaurant business, The Red Chickz offers items ranging from the Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich to chicken tacos and loaded wedges.

Lalehzarian was first introduced to Nashville Hot Chicken while exploring what food trends would best fit the Los Angeles community’s tastes. After making a trip to Nashville, Lalehzarian perfected his recipe, and in 2021, he launched the franchise program for the Nashville Hot Chicken Brand.

“When I first came up with the concept for The Red Chickz, I knew I had the tools from working with many national brands to open multiple locations, but the popularity on social media and strong demand for our food helped up realize that we could expand sooner than originally planned,” said Lalehzarian.

Along with Fresno, Los Angeles, San Diego, Long Beach and Orange County will also be home to the restaurant.

“We are so thankful for the love and support we have received so far and we can’t wait to bring our concept to cities across the nation and beyond,” said Lalehzarian.