What's New in Oak Park Heights
Dave's Hot Chicken officially opened its doors in Oak Park Heights, taking over the former Taco John's building at 5910 Neal Avenue North. The 2,750 square foot restaurant serves Nashville-style hot chicken sandwiches and tenders with both indoor seating and a drive-thru.
For east metro residents who've been making the drive to St. Paul or Apple Valley, that commute just got a lot shorter.
30 Locations Planned Across the State
The franchise is operated by Minnesota Chicken LLC, an ownership group that includes former NBA player Kris Humphries along with his cousin Alex Humphries and family.
They first brought the Los Angeles-based brand to Minnesota in 2023 and currently operate locations:
- On Ford Parkway in St. Paul
- In Apple Valley near Cedar Avenue and County Road 42
- In the North Loop neighborhood of Minneapolis
- On Plymouth Road in Minnetonka
Now the group has its sights set on significant expansion with plans for 30 total restaurants across the state.
Alex Humphries has specifically identified:
- Woodbury
- Cottage Grove
- Maplewood
- Roseville
as east metro sites under consideration.
For anyone following development patterns in the east metro, this kind of multi-location commitment from a national brand signals continued confidence in the area's growth.
The East Metro Chicken Competition
Dave's Hot Chicken won't be the only new poultry option in the St. Croix Valley.
A Chick-Fil-A is also under construction in Stillwater at 2001 Washington Avenue near the former Herberger's department store site. The new restaurant will include a drive-thru facility in the parking lot.
Rather than seeing the competition as a concern, the Dave's Hot Chicken ownership group has said it reinforces their decision to expand in the area.
What This Means for East Metro Communities
New restaurant development is one of the clearest signals that a community is growing and attracting attention from national brands.
For cities like Woodbury and Cottage Grove, the arrival of chains like Dave's Hot Chicken and Chick-Fil-A follows broader patterns of commercial development, new housing, and infrastructure investment that continue to make the east metro one of the most desirable areas in the Twin Cities.
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Text Darin Bjerknes at 612-702-5126 or DM on Instagram @darintheminnesotan.
