Ricky’s Hot Chicken owner Ricky Tran believes that when customers pay for a meal, they should feel they received their money’s worth. As a result, customer service is his top priority.

The backstory

The concept began after Tran, who previously worked in the engineering field, ate hot chicken for the first time. Soon after, he began researching the history of Nashville hot chicken. Tran worked on his recipes, giving samples away to as many people as he could to try and perfect them.

“There’s a place in Los Angeles called Howlin’ Ray’s that is a big influence on what I wanted to do here,” Tran said, adding that he connected with that restaurant’s owner to collaborate.

Tran opened the Richardson location in 2020, followed by a location in Arlington in 2022 and one in Plano in 2023.


What’s on the menu?

Patrons choose one of six spice levels, including “A-bomb,” which features a spiced oil bath, jalapeno, habanero, ghost pepper, scorpion pepper and Carolina reapers—the hottest pepper in the world.

The most popular menu item is the Sando, Tran said, which features chicken breast with the customer's spice level of choice, vinegar slaw, comeback sauce—a combination of mayonnaise and chili sauce—and pickles served with fries and a drink. Another popular item is the Bird’s Nest—chopped tenders, vinegar slaw, comeback sauce and pickles on a bed of fries.

The menu also includes tenders, nuggets and, chicken and waffles on weekends.


What’s special about it?

Tran said he focuses on customer services and value, saying that he didn’t raise his prices during the COVID-19 pandemic like many other restaurants.

“We want to give a good meal to our customers,” Tran said. “But we don’t want them to feel ripped off afterwards.”