Houston Hot Chicken

US sensation Houston Hot Chicken takes flight in the UK

London, Monday 22nd June 2026: Houston Hot Chicken (HHC), the cult US brand known for its bold, Nashville hot chicken sandwiches, is set to make its UK debut, joining the PizzaExpress house of brands. Following rapid success stateside, the buzzworthy chicken concept, famed for being an Instagram sensation which pairs craveable chicken with fast cars, is coming to British shores, marking a major milestone for both the PizzaExpress group and HHC’s international expansion. The launch introduces UK customers to HHC’s unmistakable take on hot chicken, which needs to be tasted to be believed. 
 

Backed by the team behind PizzaExpress and, more recently, Mac & Wings, HHC will gain an unrivalled understanding of the UK consumer, and this, combined with its menu, which is set to ignite taste buds.
Ranked 217 on the 2025 Inc. 5000 of Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America and in FastCasual’s 2026 Top 100 Movers & Shakers, HHC was founded in 2020 and has become recognised nationally stateside for its daring offering. This includes the house favourite Original Hot Chicken Sandwich, available from mild through to ‘Houston, We Have A Problem’ spice level, which lands at a fiery 2 million on the Scoville Scale (yes, you read that correctly) and requires a waiver to order. 
 

From hot chicken through to tenders & waffles, nuggets, fries, famous house sauce, and house-made lemonades, however you take your spice, you’ll find it at HHC. 
With three HHC restaurants opening soon, the brand is launching with strategic intent as part of an ambitious plan to roll out 50 locations nationally over the next three years. 
 

Paula MacKenzie, Group CEO of PizzaExpress, Mac & Wings and now HHC, said, “We’re thrilled to be adding Houston Hot Chicken to our house of brands, bringing something truly distinctive to the UK market: bold flavour, real energy and an experience that stands apart. This is chicken unlike you’ve seen it before.”
Brian Simowitz, Houston Hot Chicken President, said, “Working with the PizzaExpress team to expand for the first time internationally is truly an exciting moment for us. No one knows fried chicken better than HHC, and no one knows the UK market better than PizzaExpress, making this the perfect partnership. We can’t wait to fly the coop and land in the UK, bringing something unexpected and exciting to chicken consumers.”
 

About Houston Hot Chicken

Houston Hot Chicken (HHC) prides itself on serving buttermilk marinated 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, with the brand landing in the UK later this year.