Before Ezell's Famous Chicken made a name for itself, becoming a go-to place for fried gold in the Pacific Northwest and now celebrating its 40th anniversary with 17 locations, it was barely surviving. Then came the divine intervention of Oprah Winfrey.
She visited Seattle in 1989 and experienced Ezell's glory twice. The second time she answered the phone herself to ensure her delivery. And it quickly became one of her favorites. Oprah mentioned it on her TV show, and soon the phone at Ezell's girlfriend's house started ringing. For a full month and a half, the staff didn't make enough money to keep up with Oprah's supporters.
This small flagship restaurant opened five years ago in the Central District, across from Garfield High School (Full disclosure: I'm a proud alumnus, Go Bulldogs! and lifelong Ezell fan. be). During that time, the U District was home to his second branch of Ezell's. But everything went wrong.
Co-founders and brothers Lewis Rudd, Darnell Rudd and Faye Stevens say the business was hand-to-mouth.It took him six years to secure funding. original locationFortunately, Ms. Fay received a letter from the mother of beloved Seattle weather forecaster Steve Poole (who passed away in November at age 70) with a business plan written on a yellow legal pad in a format acceptable to banks. I received help to move it to. Although they were doing well enough to debut another location on the Avenue, they lacked the organizational resources, professional networks, and traditional business acumen to support the fledgling Black-owned The future of the company was uncertain.
“Some of the challenges we faced had to do with systemic racism,” Lewis said in a recent interview. three brothers. “Red lines and banks are canceling loans and making commitments and withdrawals from us.
“Oprah came at a time when the Ezzels were really struggling,” Lewis recalled. “Sometimes you just don’t know when your blessings will come.”
Now with 325 employees and locations throughout the Spokane and Portland areas, Ezell's Famous Chicken is celebrating its 40th anniversary. When considering several anniversary celebrations, the brothers saw no way to throw a party large enough with all the staff and many loyal patrons gathered over the decades.
They began looking at the history of Ezell's endowments, dating back to its early days. In 1985, the original store provided free meals to participants in the Martin Luther King Jr. March and donated approximately 150 pieces of chicken. That's a lot of money to finance a new spot. Since then, they've donated thousands of items over the years to the hungry MLK marchers gathering at Garfield High School, as well as other causes the Ezzels have supported, including cancer research and the Odessa Brown Children's Clinic. The list of organizations and activities is long.
The brothers had already begun thinking about and acting on their larger legacy as an institution in 2021.Recognizing that Oprah won't always show up, they Rudd's RUBB (Developing Black Business) Initiative It's to distribute grants to fellow Black-owned ventures that are struggling to emerge from the pandemic, some of which lack the information or bandwidth to secure PPP funding.
The program continued the following year with the addition of a Black Business Leadership Conference hosted by the University of Washington's Foster School of Business, offering workshops, networking resources, mentorship opportunities, and more for Black entrepreneurs. His third annual conference is scheduled for Aug. 17, and more than 20 of his RUBB grants have been awarded so far in the Seattle and Portland areas, totaling $75,000 and his Funding is sourced from an ever-growing roster of partners.
Because of this precedent, “we're not really going to have a big celebration.” we” Lewis said. Instead, the brothers wanted to find “a way to give back to the community all the support they've gotten over these 40 years.”
So the 40 for 40 campaign was born, encouraging Ezell guests to round up their bills by 40 cents and donating the proceeds to local youth programs focused on education and the economy. This will be made possible through a grant administered by the new Hazel Daniel Creighton Foundation, named in honor of a valued longtime employee who put Ezell's systems in place for community engagement and giving. . She passed away in 2023.
Since the anniversary was on February 3, “We started with a 40/40 plan for the month of February,'' Lewis said. Now, he noted, they're considering fundraising beyond Black History Month, “Why not forever?”
Longtime fans who stop by Ezell's to order their favorites may notice another homage to the 40th anniversary in the form of staff members wearing gold T-shirts emblazoned with the original logo. This is a Garfield student's drawing of a chicken running happily to its fried fate. An advertisement in the school newspaper in 1984. Lewis said he was successful in locating the artists during Ezell's 25th anniversary celebrations, but they preferred not to be credited for their early poultry work.
“I'm Fresh, I'm Fresh, I'm Fast!” The logo reads “Chicken on an Easel,” and after 40 years, Lewis said the company's commitment to quality as well as community remains the cornerstone. I am. The recipes remain the same, but some were borrowed from a small fried chicken shop in Marshall, Texas, where his brothers worked as teenagers before coming to Seattle. (Ezell, whose name is Ezell, also worked there. He and Faye were married at one point, and he was a co-founder of Ezells. He officially parted ways with the company in 2010 following a lawsuit.) and is now the owner of Heaven St. Fried Chicken on Lake City Way and Everett.
At Ezell's, everything is made fresh, from the ultra-creamy potato salad to the smooth mashed potatoes with just the right amount of salty gravy to the rich sweet potato pie baked daily.
The brothers say their favorites have changed over time. Faye's current order is spicy chicken tenders and mashed potatoes. Darnell eats spicy brisket, potato salad, and one pillowy roll (“because I'm on a diet!”). Lewis ordered a special order of three chicken tenders, “fried a little crispy” (a perk for owners), along with potato salad and beans (“mixed it up a little”). “Don't forget the pie,” Fay added.
The “famous” in the name was purely an aspiration in 1984, but it was realized through Oprah (who had a penchant for spicy thighs) and much more. Over the years, Ezell's fans have included Garfield alum Quincy Jones, the Reverend Jesse Jackson (Sweet Potato All About His Pies), former Seattle Mayor Norm Rice, Norm (George Wendt) from “Cheers,” and more. . Norm!(that's what the staff told me when I entered), Danny Glover, George Foreman (I finished an eight-course combo with a glass of wine at the hotel), Ludacris, and more.
The brothers say their corporate catering includes all of Seattle's biggest names, and Ezell's spreads have appeared at important birthday parties associated with Microsoft and Starbucks.
During the 10 years or so that Ezell's concession stand was located in the canyon, it attracted countless bands and music fans (sorry). Ezell fed the Seattle SuperSonics (sigh). Ezell's also started catering to the Seahawks in 1987 and continues to do so today.
What's next? It seems likely that the 18th Ezzels will be held in Kirkland this year. When it comes to retirement for the Rudd/Stevens brothers, 40 years can feel like an eternity or a day. “Many times when people say, 'Oh, you own Ezell's stuff,' I've corrected them,” Lewis said. “I said, 'No, it's mine!' (All three laughed).
We are currently considering a succession plan, but nothing has been decided yet. “We're thinking carefully, making sure we move things forward at the right time and everything else is in place,” Fay said.
“We really like what we do,” Lewis began. “Love,” Darnell interjected. “Love What we are doing is the right thing! ” Lewis said.
