Get a Free Slider at Dave’s Hot Chicken on October 13 (Dave’s Day 2026)
Direct answer: Dave’s Hot Chicken is giving away one free chicken slider to every customer on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, to celebrate Dave’s Day, its fourth annual promotional event. To claim it, download the Dave’s Hot Chicken app and visit a participating location that day. No purchase is necessary, and the slider you get free normally costs $6.99 before tax.
Free food days are the best days, and this one is a good one. Dave’s Hot Chicken, the Nashville-style chain that went from a parking lot pop-up to a billion-dollar brand, is celebrating its fourth annual Dave’s Day by handing out free sliders nationwide. If you have been meaning to try their hot chicken, or you are already a fan with the app on your phone, October 13 is your day. Here is exactly how to get yours, what is inside the slider, and why the chain throws this party every year.
How Do You Get a Free Dave’s Hot Chicken Slider on October 13?
The deal is simple, but there are a couple of steps you cannot skip. To get a free Dave’s Hot Chicken slider on October 13, download the chain’s app from the App Store or Google Play, then walk into any participating Dave’s Hot Chicken location on Tuesday, October 13, 2026. That’s it. No purchase is required to redeem the offer, and no promo code is needed, which makes this one of the easier free-food deals of the year.
A few things to keep in mind. The offer is only valid on October 13, the actual Dave’s Day, so showing up on the 12th or 14th won’t cut it. It is also limited to participating locations, so it is worth checking your local store’s details in the app before you make the drive. Dave’s is also leaning into the fun this year: they are jokingly offering “bonus points (but not real points)” if you show up dressed as Dave, claim to be Dave, bring a rubber chicken, or otherwise embrace your inner Dave. Honestly? The free slider alone is reason enough to go.
Quick steps to claim your free slider
1. Download the Dave’s Hot Chicken app (iOS or Android).
2. Head to a participating location on Tuesday, October 13, 2026.
3. Claim your free chicken slider in the app, no purchase necessary.
4. Pick your heat level, from mild all the way to Reaper.
What Is Dave’s Day, and Why Does the Chain Do This Every Year?
Dave’s Day is the chain’s annual customer-appreciation celebration, and 2026 marks the fourth one. The event started as a way for the brand to say thanks to the fans who lined up around the block when it was still a folding-table operation in an East Hollywood parking lot. This year there is extra reason to celebrate: Dave’s was named Yelp’s No. 1 Most Loved Brand, which is the kind of honor a chain builds its whole marketing calendar around.
CEO Jim Bitticks, who took over the top job in January 2026, framed the giveaway as a thank-you in the brand’s press release: “Our guests are the reason Dave’s has grown from a parking lot in Los Angeles into the brand it is today. Being recognized by Yelp [as Yelp’s No. 1 Most Loved Brand] gives us a reason to thank them in the best way we know how: with the Slider they love. On Dave’s Day, everyone is a Dave, and we hope they’ll come celebrate with us.”
It’s a smart play. One free slider costs the chain a couple of dollars in food, but it gets thousands of people through the door, and plenty of them will buy fries, a drink, or a second slider at full price. For customers, though, it’s just free chicken. Everybody wins.
What Is Inside a Dave’s Hot Chicken Slider?
If you have never had one, here is what you are getting for free. Dave’s Hot Chicken sliders are served on a soft potato bun and come loaded with a crispy fried chicken tender tossed in their spicy seasoning, plus kale slaw, pickles, and Dave’s secret sauce. The combination of the hot, crunchy chicken with the cool, creamy slaw is honestly what makes the slider work.
The big choice is the heat level. Dave’s lets you pick from seven heat levels, ranging from No Spice (just seasoned, no heat) all the way up to the infamous Reaper, which is not for the faint of heart. Most first-timers do well around Mild or Medium. If you are feeling brave, Hot is genuinely spicy, and Extra Hot and Reaper will clear your sinuses. The slider normally sells for $6.99 before tax, so the freebie is a full-size menu item, not some shrunken sample.
| What’s in the slider | Details |
|---|---|
| Chicken | Crispy Nashville-style hot chicken tender, tossed in spicy seasoning |
| Bun | Soft potato bun |
| Toppings | Kale slaw, pickles, and Dave’s secret sauce |
| Heat levels | 7 levels, from No Spice to Reaper |
| Regular price | $6.99 before tax |
The Story Behind Dave’s Hot Chicken
This deal is sweeter when you know how the chain started. In 2017, four childhood friends, Dave Kopushyan (a trained chef who worked under Thomas Keller at The French Laundry), Arman Oganesyan, Tommy Rubenyan, and Gary Rubenyan, pooled $900 and set up a Nashville-style hot chicken stand in an East Hollywood parking lot. They had a portable fryer, a few picnic tables, and a simple menu of tenders and sliders.
Then an Eater LA reporter stopped by, and the next day’s headline, “East Hollywood’s New Late Night Hot Chicken Stand Might Blow Your Mind,” sent lines around the block. By 2019 the founders had partnered with Wetzel’s Pretzels co-founder Bill Phelps to franchise the concept, and the growth never really stopped. Today the chain operates more than 300 locations across the US, Canada, the UK, and the Middle East, counts investors like Drake, Usher, Samuel L. Jackson, and Michael Strahan, and sold to Roark Capital in 2025 in a deal valued at $1 billion. Not bad for a $900 fryer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a free Dave’s Hot Chicken slider on Dave’s Day?
Download the Dave’s Hot Chicken app from the App Store or Google Play, then visit a participating location on Tuesday, October 13, 2026. Claim the offer in the app. No purchase is necessary.
Is the Dave’s Hot Chicken free slider deal valid without the app?
No. The free slider is an app-based offer, so you need to download the Dave’s Hot Chicken app and claim it there. The app itself is free, and there is no purchase requirement once you have it.
Can I choose my heat level for the free slider?
Yes. The free slider is a regular menu slider, so you can pick any of the chain’s seven heat levels, from No Spice up to Reaper. First-timers usually do best around Mild or Medium.
What is the free Dave’s Hot Chicken slider worth?
The slider normally sells for $6.99 before tax. It’s a full-size menu item: a crispy hot chicken tender on a potato bun with kale slaw, pickles, and Dave’s sauce.
Prices last verified: October 12, 2026. Free-slider offer details via Parade’s report on the brand’s Dave’s Day announcement; check the official Dave’s Hot Chicken website or app for participating locations and any changes to the offer.
