Houston TX Hot Chicken plans to turn up the heat at a former Sweeto Burrito location in north Spokane. 

Known best for its hot chicken sandwiches and Southern-inspired food, HHC plans to hold its grand opening at its first Spokane-area restaurant, located at 1839 N. Ruby, on Oct. 21. Franchisee Scott Williams, a Spokane native, will own and operate the franchise location.

“We think it will be a big hit over there,” says Edmond Barseghian, founder of the Las Vegas-based franchise restaurant company.

Barseghian moved to Las Vegas from Los Angeles in 2020 to open HHC. He and co-founder Houston Crosta—the inspiration for the restaurant’s name—opened the first HHC in August 2021. Crosta since has sold his equity in the business.

HHC will be located in seven states following the opening of the Spokane location. HHC has sold rights for over 300 locations to franchisees who are committed to opening those restaurants within the next five years, Barseghian says.

“I wanted to build a big business from day one,” he says. “I want to expand nationwide.”

The fast-casual restaurant chain’s menu includes sandwiches, chicken tenders, salads, chicken and waffles, and loaded fries. Its chicken is offered in seven spice levels, ranging from no spice to Houston, We Have a Problem, which requires customers to sign a waiver before consuming because it checks in at 2 million Scoville heat units.

Scoville heat units are used to measure how spicy a food item is. For reference, a jalapeño pepper is typically between 2,500 and 8,000 on the Scoville scale, and a serrano pepper is anywhere from 10,000 to 25,000.

“Houston, We Have a Problem uses the spiciest peppers in the world—Carolina reaper, scorpion (pepper), ghost pepper,” Barseghian says. “I wanted to make something that’s going to take off on social media—something extremely spicy.”

Grand opening events at each location include a Houston, We Have a Problem challenge that features 10 contestants. The first person to finish three of the Houston, We Have a Problem chicken tenders and then go three minutes without a drink wins $1,000, Barseghian says.

“Seeing this is hysterical. It draws a big crowd. It’s fun to watch,” he says. “Honestly, it’s almost like unbearably hot.”

While the ultra-hot option is a fun challenge for the bravest of customers, Barseghian says HHC focuses on using high-quality ingredients.

“What’s important to me is doing business with farmers that ethically raise their livestock and actually care about the product that they put out,” he says. “There’s no hormones, there’s no saline solutions in there, it’s never been frozen.”

Barseghian fell in love with Nashville hot chicken after he stopped in Tennessee’s capital on a road trip, he says. He was so enticed by the Southern dish that he was eating hot chicken about five times a week, to the point that he was having stomach issues, he says.

He then asked his sister to come up with a healthier version of hot chicken.

“My sister made a recipe. It was the best hot chicken I’ve ever tasted,” he says. “We have a unique way of making it where it’s easier on the stomach.”

Barseghian grew up in Sweden, where his dad worked as a chef. He says he wanted to get into the restaurant business because it reminds him of his late father.

“I had this really good recipe, so I decided to move to Las Vegas because there weren’t any hot chicken places,” Barseghian contends.

Chicken restaurants have been growing in popularity in recent years, Barseghian says.

“Poultry, just in general, is a healthier option,” he says. “I think people are incorporating it more into their diets.”

Spokane is becoming an example of that trend. Chick-Fil-A opened in north Spokane in December of 2020 and two Popeyes Louisiana Kitchens are expected to open in the area later this year—one in north Spokane and one in Airway Heights.

The 3,000-square-foot HHC restaurant here is expected to employ about 30 people and will feature both drive-thru and dine-in options.

Small Bites

*Chef Adam Hegsted’s restaurant de España closed its doors this week, according to a post on the Spanish-inspired eatery’s Facebook page. Located in the former Hegsted-owned Incrediburger & Eggs space at 909 W. First, in downtown Spokane, de España opened in September 2022. According to the Facebook post, de España hadn’t taken off as quickly as had been hoped, at least in part because “the location just isn’t great for (that) style of restaurant.” Other Spokane restaurants affiliated with Hegsted’s Liberty Lake-based Eat Good Group LLC include Gilded Unicorn, Baba, The Yards Bruncheon, and Française.

*Wake Up Call held a grand opening earlier this month for its Airway Heights location at 9011 W. U.S. 2, according to a press release from the Spokane-based coffee company. With its first West Plains location, Wake Up Call now has 27 shops throughout Spokane County; Coeur d’Alene; and Tri-Cities, Washington; and Walla Walla, Washington. In March, Wake Up Call acquired 13 Black Rock Coffee Bar locations in Central Washington, doubling the Spokane company’s total number of coffee shops.

*Cookie Co. Spokane, located near Gonzaga University, at 1028 N. Hamilton, has announced on Facebook that it will close today after opening about nine months ago. According to the announcement, the owners of the Spokane location have “come to an impasse” with the franchise company and are unable to continue operations.