Dave's Hot Chicken vs Zaxby's:Which is searched more in the United States?
In September 2026, Dave's Hot Chicken had more branded searches than Zaxby's among fried chicken chains in the United States. Dave's Hot Chicken had about 3.4 million branded searches, while Zaxby's had 1.2 million. Dave's Hot Chicken made up 7.5% of all fried chicken chain searches we track, and Zaxby's accounted for 2.7%.
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Is Dave's Hot Chicken or Zaxby's more popular in search?
Compare the fried chicken and chicken tender chains people in the US eat at. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.
Share of searches by month for Dave's Hot Chicken, Zaxby's. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Chick-fil-A | Wingstop | KFC | Dave's Hot Chicken | Popeyes | Bojangles | Raising Cane’s | Jollibee | Zaxby's | Church's Texas Chicken |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 42.4% | 15.6% | 10.4% | 8.5% | 8.5% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 1.4% |
| Nov 2025 | 41.7% | 15.3% | 10.2% | 8.4% | 10.2% | 3.7% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 1.4% |
| Dec 2025 | 41.9% | 15.4% | 10.3% | 8.4% | 8.4% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 3.8% | 1.4% |
| Jan 2026 | 42.4% | 15.5% | 10.4% | 8.5% | 8.5% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 2.5% | 3.1% | 1.4% |
| Feb 2026 | 44.9% | 16.5% | 9% | 7.4% | 7.4% | 3.3% | 4% | 2.7% | 3.3% | 1.5% |
| Mar 2026 | 42.3% | 15.5% | 10.4% | 10.4% | 6.9% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 2.5% | 3.1% | 1.4% |
| Apr 2026 | 43.1% | 15.8% | 10.6% | 8.6% | 7.1% | 3.9% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 1.4% |
| May 2026 | 42.8% | 15.7% | 10.5% | 8.6% | 7% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 1.4% |
| Jun 2026 | 43.4% | 15.9% | 10.6% | 8.7% | 7.1% | 3.9% | 3.2% | 2.6% | 3.2% | 1.4% |
| Jul 2026 | 48% | 14.4% | 9.6% | 7.9% | 6.5% | 3.5% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 1.3% |
| Aug 2026 | 48.1% | 14.5% | 9.7% | 7.9% | 6.5% | 3.5% | 3.5% | 2.9% | 2.4% | 1.1% |
| Sep 2026 | 45.4% | 16.6% | 11.1% | 7.5% | 6.1% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 1.2% |
How has the Dave's Hot Chicken and Zaxby's comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Dave's Hot Chicken was ahead of Zaxby's in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Dave's Hot Chicken’s share of searches among fried chicken chains in the United States moved from 8.5% to 7.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 4.1M to 3.4M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Zaxby's’ share of searches among fried chicken chains in the United States moved from 3.1% to 2.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.5M to 1.2M.
How did search popularity change for United States fried chicken chains in September 2026?
2 changes
Estimated monthly branded searches for Zaxby's in the United States fell 18.7% over 12 measured months, from 1.5M to 1.2M in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Dave's Hot Chicken in the United States fell 18.1% over 12 measured months, from 4.1M to 3.4M in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Dave's Hot Chicken’s and Zaxby's’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Dave's Hot Chicken
1 branded search term
- dave's hot chicken
Zaxby's
2 branded search terms
- zaxby's
- zaxbys
Other head-to-heads among fried chicken chains
Chick-fil-A vs Wingstop: compare search popularity
Chick-fil-A vs KFC: compare search popularity- Chick-fil-A vs Dave's Hot Chicken: compare search popularity
Chick-fil-A vs Popeyes: compare search popularity- Wingstop vs KFC: compare search popularity
- Wingstop vs Dave's Hot Chicken: compare search popularity
Put your own brand in this comparison
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