Ezell's Chicken facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ezell's Famous Chicken |
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The original Ezell's on 23rd Avenue in Seattle's Central District.
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| Restaurant information | |
| Established | February 3, 1984 |
| Previous owner(s) | Ezell Stephens and Lewis Rudd |
| Street address | 501 23rd Avenue |
| City | Seattle |
| County | King County |
| State | Washington |
| Postal/ZIP code | 98122 |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 47°36′23″N 122°18′11″W / 47.60639°N 122.30306°W |
| Other locations | Yes |
Ezell's Famous Chicken is a popular fast food restaurant chain that started in Seattle, Washington. The very first restaurant opened on February 3, 1984, in Seattle's Central District, near Garfield High School.
The restaurant became well-known after TV host Oprah Winfrey said it was her favorite fried chicken. It's even said that she would have the chicken flown to her home in Chicago whenever she wanted some.
Today, there are more than a dozen Ezell's locations in the Puget Sound region of Washington. In 2015, the chain opened its first restaurant in Spokane, on the eastern side of the state. Ezell's also opened a restaurant in the United Arab Emirates in 2015, but it has since closed.
Contents
The Story of Ezell's
How It All Began
Ezell's Famous Chicken was founded by two friends, Ezell Stephens and Lewis Rudd. They were both from a small town in Texas. After Stephens left the Coast Guard and Rudd left the Army, they decided to start a business together.
They went to night school to learn about business. Later, they got a loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration to open their first chicken shop in 1984. Their fresh, delicious chicken quickly became a local favorite.
Growing the Business
The first Ezell's was a big success. In 1988, they opened a second location in Seattle's University District, but it closed a few years later due to money troubles. However, they didn't give up. In 1998, they started expanding again, opening more restaurants for people to enjoy.
One of their locations is even on the Microsoft campus in Redmond, which opened in 2006.
A New Path for a Founder
After some business disagreements, one of the original founders, Ezell Stephens, left the company. He went on to open his own chicken restaurants in Everett, Lake City, and Renton.
In November 2011, Stephens changed the name of his new restaurants to Heaven Sent Fried Chicken. Because of the legal settlement, he could no longer use the "Ezell's" name, but he was able to keep his famous chicken recipe.
Giving Back to the Community
In 2021, Ezell's started a program called the "R.U.B.B. (Raising Up Black Businesses) Initiative." This program gives money and support to Black-owned businesses in Washington state. In its first year, it gave grants of $2,500 to 20 different businesses. The program has since grown to include a leadership conference to help even more business owners.
See also
- List of fast-food chicken restaurants
