**Free Food Trumps AI: Dave’s Hot Chicken Tops the App Store with Drake Birthday Promotion**
For weeks, OpenAI’s Sora app has led the iOS App Store charts, riding a wave of excitement over its AI-powered video generation capabilities. Since its September 30 launch, Sora became an overnight sensation, thanks to both its innovative technology and a liberal stance on copyright, attracting millions of curious users. However, Sora’s reign ended abruptly last week—not at the hands of a tech rival like ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini, but by an unexpected contender: Dave’s Hot Chicken.
The fast-casual restaurant chain’s ascent to the top of the App Store is as surprising as it is telling about the power of food—and clever marketing. The chain’s bug-eyed, tongue-wagging chicken mascot now presides over the App Store’s #1 spot, a feat achieved through the most irresistible incentive of all: free food.
**The Drake Connection and the Power of a Free Slider**
So, what propelled a fried chicken app to dethrone a leading AI app? The answer lies in celebrity influence and a strategic giveaway. In honor of rap star Drake’s birthday, Dave’s Hot Chicken ran a promotion offering a free slider to anyone who downloaded the app. Drake, who invested in the chain back in 2021, has a vested interest in the brand’s success. His involvement became all the more significant after Dave’s Hot Chicken sold a majority stake to private equity powerhouse Roark Capital in a deal reportedly worth $1 billion.
For the third consecutive year, the restaurant marked Drake’s birthday with the free slider giveaway. This year’s event, held on Thursday as Drake turned 39, was a massive success. “We’re celebrating a celebrity that’s popular and that’s currently relevant, and also getting food in people’s mouths,” explains Leon Davoyan, Dave’s Hot Chicken’s Chief Technology Officer.
**A Surge in Downloads and Customer Loyalty**
The results speak for themselves. On a typical week, Dave’s Hot Chicken sees between 20,000 and 25,000 new sign-ups to its loyalty database. The Drake birthday promotion, however, drove a staggering 343,531 new accounts in just one day—a more than 10% increase in total membership. This unprecedented surge was enough to push Dave’s Hot Chicken to the top of the App Store, ending Sora’s impressive three-week run at #1.
Sora’s initial success was remarkable in its own right. In its first 23 days, the invite-only app amassed 3.2 million iOS downloads in the US, outpacing even OpenAI’s previous viral hit, ChatGPT, which gathered 2.3 million downloads in a similar timeframe. While Sora is expected to reclaim its throne after the promotion ends, Dave’s Hot Chicken stands to benefit from the boost in app installs and customer engagement for weeks to come.
**The Lasting Impact of Food Promotions in