Interview with co-Founder of Hotville
We spoke to Ali Rajani, co-founder and CEO of one of the hottest franchise opportunities on the market. Hotville has five UK outlets with three sites set to open in the next few months after recent record sales results. Read on to find out more about the growth of this exciting brand.
Tell us a bit about yourself
I’ve been involved in the food service industry for many years and currently run a logistics and freight forwarding company that supports leading food brands. My passion and appreciation for quality food began early on, inspired by watching my father cook his famous chicken. That passion ultimately led me to co-found Hotville in the autumn of 2021 alongside my brother Mohamed and our partner Usman.
Our shared love of chicken sparked a mission to find the very best fried chicken, both across the UK and internationally. We were particularly inspired by the Nashville-style concept and set our sights on bringing it to the UK market. Countless days and late nights were dedicated to refining the recipe and crafting a standout menu. We developed distinctive heat levels designed to enhance flavour while catering to every palate.
When we opened our first store on Uppingham Road in Leicester in April 2022, the response exceeded all expectations. Food lovers queued in large numbers, with wait times reaching up to two hours even months after launch. Since then, the journey has continued to gain momentum — we now proudly operate five successful outlets across the UK, with further growth on the horizon.
Outside of work, I cherish spending time with my kids. I enjoy playing badminton and am an avid reader, particularly drawn to business fiction.
Can you tell us about Hotville
We are at the outset of our franchise journey even though the first store opened in 2022. We have big ambitions. Hotville aims to become a national chain with a further six sites set to open in 2026. We have the experience and infrastructure in place to make this happen. New franchisees joining now have the benefit of a proven system, popular product and the support of our experienced team. Our exclusive delivery agreement with UberEATS ensures that new franchisees get off to a great start should they wish for their site to be exclusive.
Who is your target market?
Our target market is broad – anyone that loves quality fried chicken. The demand for our juicy, fresh fried chicken whether that’s burgers, wings or succulent tenders, enjoyed with loaded fries and a shake is incredible. We recorded our highest ever performing week between Christmas and New Year recently and sales continue to be strong.
Why is Hotville a great investment for potential franchisees?
Franchisees receive full training, support with site sourcing, store fit out, and turn-key opening of stores in addition to professional marketing to maximise a successful launch. Franchisees benefit from a fully tested business model with an ROI of between16-24months.
What differentiates Hotville from the competition?
Hotville is disrupting the growing fried chicken market and we are expanding the brand into a national chain, built on great values, teamwork, support and respect for our franchisees. We stand out from other fried chicken brands as we have also invested in the right equipment to ensure superb quality of product and a consistent experience across our stores. We’ve also honed our business model, and systems are streamlined for ease of operation. As a result, Hotville’s popularity is taking the fried chicken market to another level and we are proud to serve the communities around our stores.
What is the role of a Hotville Franchisee?
Franchisees manage and run their own Hotville takeaway store. We provide full support and they bring passion and commitment to grow a successful business. They will manage a small team and oversee their own Hotville site. Two of our existing franchisees are going on to open more Hotville sites so there is the opportunity to expand the role to become a multi-site franchisee too.
What qualities do you look for in a franchisee?
Our business model is easy to follow, so anyone with a good business background, ideally with QSR experience is likely to succeed. Good communicators, organisers and those that manage a team well will excel. Our franchisees’ success is our success so we support them in every aspect of their business. Full training and support is provided to franchisees from the offset to ensure that their store is a success.
What challenges have you had to overcome?
Our main challenge was to get our concept right from the outset. Without a popular product, sales will not come, and so we spend many months testing our recipes and ensuring we used the right equipment to gain that consistency of taste and quality for every meal. This required investment and now our franchisees benefit from that heavy lifting. As a result, our customers simply keep coming back for more! Having said that, we are continuously developing our menu to ensure that customers keep coming back to try new exciting products.
What have been Hotville’s biggest achievements to date?
Hotville was nominated as Regional Finalists in UberEats’ Restaurant of the Year in 2024. Our performance with UberEats far exceeds many brands and this has helped tie a very close relationship. This year, we have been selected as one of three brands UberEats wishes to promote at the PDC’s Premier Darts League - so watch this space for some exciting news and giveaways!
What does the future hold for Hotville?
In the near future we will be exhibiting at the International Franchise Exhibition 17-18 April 2026. Later this year, we are set to open three more stores in the coming months with a further three in the pipeline to launch before the end of 2026. In the longer term future, we will have sites nationwide and become the best fried chicken brand.
What advice would you give to someone considering franchising their business?
Detailed research is essential. If you create a product or concept and intend to franchise it successfully, it must be tried and tested and be in high demand from customers.
If you had to do it all again, what would you do differently?
I might have jumped in and started Hotville a few years earlier, however, good things come to those that wait. Now Hotville is on an exciting journey of expansion and we look forward to welcoming new franchisees joining us on their own quest for success.
Interested and want to know more about Hotville?
The Hotville profile outlines all aspects of their franchise opportunity and allows you to contact them for further information or to ask a question.
