Harold's Chicken Shack (also referred to as The Fried Chicken King, Harold's Chicken, or simply Harold's) is a popular

fried chicken Fried chicken, also called Southern fried chicken, is a dish consisting of chicken pieces that have been coated with seasoned flour or batter and pan-fried, deep fried, pressure fried, or air fried. The breading adds a crisp coating or ...

restaurant based in

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. The chain operates primarily in Chicago's predominantly black communities but has additional locations in

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; Brooklyn Center, Minnesota; and

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History

Harold Pierce, an African-American entrepreneur who moved to Chicago in 1943, founded the restaurant on June 22, 1950, at the corner of 47th Street and Kenwood, near the estate where he worked as a chauffeur. Harold and his wife also operated a

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restaurant on 39th street called the H&H (Harold&Hilda); their specialties were dumplings and chicken feet. Pierce differed from other fast-food innovators in his development of Harold's brand. He wanted each franchisor to develop its personality rather than forcing each to fit the same mold. Some Harold's restaurants are very informal, with takeaway chicken served by employees standing behind a window of

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(originally introduced as a necessity rather than an aesthetic concern). Others offer the option to dine in. Harold's Chicken Shacks may or may not offer fountain drinks, additional menu items, catering services, or delivery. The only constants are the basic chicken dinners and the emblem of a cook chasing a chicken with a cleaver. Even this varies greatly, sometimes rendered in lights and sometimes hand-painted. Often, the cook is dressed like a king. Harold's restaurants are also referred to as "Harold's: The Fried Chicken King", which can be seen on many older South Side signs. Harold's Chicken Shack is located primarily in Chicago, Illinois, with 40 locations across the city, particularly on its South Side, concentration in which is due in part to redlining, which limited Pierce's expansion opportunities to black neighborhoods. There are dozens of "shacks" on Chicago's South Side and the neighboring southern suburbs, several on the West Side, multiple west suburban locations (e.g., in Oak Park and

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) and a few on the city's North Side.

Connection to culture

Harold's Chicken Shack is part of Chicago's South Side culture. The restaurant is often referenced by Chicago's hip-hop community, including

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, Rhymefest,

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, G Herbo,

Chance the Rapper Chancelor Johnathan Bennett (born April 16, 1993), known professionally as Chance the Rapper, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, he released his debut mixtape '' 10 Day'' (2012) during one of his high school suspension ...

Freddie Gibbs Fredrick Jamel Tipton (born June 14, 1982), better known by his stage name Freddie Gibbs, is an American rapper and songwriter. He signed with Interscope Records in 2006 and recorded his debut album for the label; however, its release was cance ...

Lupe Fiasco Wasalu Muhammad Jaco (born February 16, 1982), better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco ( ), is an American rapper, record producer and Music education, music educator. Born and raised in Chicago, he gained mainstream recognition for his gue ...

and Dreezy. Rapper Wale stated in the song ''That Way'', that Harold's Chicken was overrated.

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rapper

Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, he was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, becoming the first music ...

mentioned Harold's Chicken in

Fredo Santana Derrick Antonio Coleman (July 4, 1990 – January 19, 2018), known professionally as Fredo Santana, was an American rapper. The older cousin of rapper Chief Keef, Santana began his career in 2011. His debut studio album, '' Trappin Ain't Dead ...

's song, "Jealous", in which Lamar is featured, where he claimed that he flew a private jet there directly from

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due to his enthusiasm for the chicken, metonymously Chicago. Harold's has been shown in a scene on the television show '' South Side'', as well as part of the music video for BJ The Chicago Kid's "It's True". Harold's is also shown next to the bar visited early in the movie '' Weird Science''.

References

{{Establishments serving chicken Fast-food poultry restaurants Fast-food chains of the United States Fast-food franchises Companies based in Chicago Restaurants in Chicago Restaurants established in 1950 1950 establishments in Illinois Chicken chains of the United States

History

Connection to culture

See also

References