Harold's Chicken Shack
4149772
224053617
2008-07-07T02:47:44Z
75.72.66.109
Cut out unnecessary race references.
{{citations missing|article|date=June 2008}}
{{Infobox Company |
company_name = Harold's Chicken Shack |
company_logo = [[Image:Harolds-chicken-shack.png|center|Harold's Chicken Shack logo]] |
company_type = Fast Food |
foundation = 1950s |
location = United States|
key_people = [[Harold Pierce]] |
industry = [[Restaurant]]s |
revenue = |
num_employees = |
products = Fried chicken |
homepage =
}}
'''Harold's Chicken Shack''' (also referred to as '''The Fried Chicken King''', '''Harold's Chicken''', or simply '''Harold's''') is a chain of [[fried chicken]] restaurants located primarily in [[Chicago]], particularly on its [[South side (Chicago)|South Side]]. Harold's has been a Chicago South Side institution for many years and is known both for its uniquely prepared chicken and for the unique experience upon entering one of the restaurants (most of the South Side locations operate the cashier and cooking area behind bulletproof glass). There are dozens of "shacks" on Chicago's South Side, and several on the West Side and a few, more recent, franchises are located on the North Side. Harold's Chicken is also available in the central Illinois towns of [[Normal, Illinois|Normal]] and [[Champaign, Illinois|Champaign]]. Additionally, Harold's has opened franchises in [[Detroit]], [[Milwaukee]], and the [[Dallas]] area. They also recently opened a restaurant in [[Minneapolis]], on the city's North Side.
==History==
[[Harold Pierce]], a black Chicago entrepreneur, founded the restaurant in [[1950]]. The character of Harold's developed primarily out of necessity, because the larger fast food chains tended to avoid [[African-American]] neighborhoods. In turn, Chicago's legal and social obstacles to black-owned businesses at the time prevented Harold's from expanding into downtown or the North Side. Harold's became one of the few examples of a thriving fast food chain that was owned by, and primarily served, the black community.
==Food facts==
[[Image:20070110 Harold's Chicken Shack.JPG|thumb|left|Harold's Chicken Shack on South Wabash Avenue (#62) 2007Jan10]]
[[Image:20070131 Harold's Chicken Shack 2.JPG|thumb|left|Harold's Chicken Shack #62 2007Jan31]]
The basic Harold's Chicken Shack dinner is a half or quarter chicken served with [[french fries]], two pieces of [[white bread]], and a cup of [[cole slaw]]. The chicken may be all white meat, all dark meat, or a mix (known as regular). Harold's also sells wing dinners and [[gizzard]]s, and some restaurants offer catfish, perch, and a number of side items including fried [[okra]]. The chicken can be served plain, but usually either hot or mild sauce is added. In [[Chicago-style fried chicken]], the sauce is drizzled over the chicken and fries which results in the chicken skin softening as it soaks up the sauce. A common practice is to take the sauce soaked fries and place them between the bread. Chicagoans call this "making a fry sandwich".
Harold's fried chicken is different from that served at other fast food chicken restaurants ([[Kentucky Fried Chicken]], [[Brown's Chicken]], [[Popeyes]], etc.) in two significant ways. The first is the cooking medium. Harold's chicken is cooked in a mix of half beef [[tallow]] and half vegetable oil, while most other chains use only vegetable oil. This provides a taste that is more similar to the traditional home-cooked fried chicken that was invented in the [[American South]].
The second major difference between Harold's chicken and most other restaurants is that at Harold's, the chicken is not fried until it is ordered, while most chains fry their chicken in large batches and store it on warming racks until it is purchased. Harold Pierce set up a chain-wide policy from the beginning that all Harold's chicken would be cooked only after it was ordered, in order to preserve the freshly cooked taste of the chicken. Originally, this meant that there was a twelve to fifteen minute wait between ordering the chicken and receiving it. Harold Pierce's son has altered the original method, however: the chicken is now fried half-way beforehand, and then cooked to completion when it is ordered. This maintains the chicken's freshness while shortening the delivery time to seven or eight minutes.
Harold Pierce differed from other fast food innovators in his development of the Harold's brand. He wanted each of his franchises to develop its own personality rather than forcing each to fit the same mold. This individuality continues today even as Harold's has expanded into other areas of Chicago. Some Harold's restaurants are very informal, with take-away chicken served by employees standing behind a window of [[bulletproof glass]] (originally introduced as a necessity rather than an aesthetic concern as Harold's often served some historically "rough" neighborhoods). Others offer a more welcoming environment, in which most of the clientele has the option to dine in. Harold's Chicken Shacks may or may not offer fountain drinks, additional menu items, catering services, or delivery. The one constant is the basic chicken dinners and the emblem of a cook chasing a chicken with a hatchet. Even this varies greatly, sometimes rendered in lights and sometimes hand-painted. The cook and chicken do not have a uniform model, but are interpreted in many different ways. 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 of the older South Side signs).
==Connection to culture==
{{main|Culture of Chicago}}
Harold's is an integral part of South Side culture. It is very popular among the students and faculty of the University of Chicago. In addition, the restaurant is often referenced in the hip-hop community. The most prominent example of this is its appearance in [[Kanye West]]'s music video for his song "Through the Wire." Other prominent Chicago natives, such as basketball star [[Dwyane Wade]], have been known to discuss their love for the restaurant as well. The chain has also been referenced by many other Chicago rappers including [[Common (rapper)|Common]], [[Infinito 2017]], G.o.D. Jewels, [[MC Juice|JUICE]], and [[Lupe Fiasco]]. It was also mentioned in [[Tucker Max]]'s book 'I hope they serve beer in hell' as the author says it is his favourite fast food chain.
== References ==
* Chang, Bryan. [http://www.chibus.com/media/storage/paper408/news/2005/03/03/AdmitWeekend/Bryans.Food.Shack-884656.shtml "Chicken Wings: Hyde Park Vs Evanston"]. [[University of Chicago#Student organizations|Chicago Business]] [[2005-03-03]]. Last accessed [[2006-11-20]].
* "Harold Pierce, 70, founder of Harold's Chicken Shacks". ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' [[1988-03-11]].
* Heise, Kenan. "Chicken King Harold P. Pierce, 70". ''Chicago Tribune'' [[1988-03-11]]. [http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/24665490.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Mar+11%2C+1988&author=Kenan+Heise&pub=Chicago+Tribune+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&edition=&startpage=9&desc=CHICKEN+KING+HAROLD+P.+PIERCE%2C+70 Abstract] accessed [[2006-11-20]].
* Sula, Mike. [http://www.chicagoreader.com/pdf/060414/060414_harolds.pdf "The First Family of Fried"]. ''[[The Chicago Reader]]'' [[2006-04-14]]. Last accessed on [[2006-11-20]].
==External links==
* [http://haroldschicken.com/ The Unofficial Harold's Chicken Weblog]
* [http://www.haroldschicken.com/2007/07/chicken_bag_directory.html The Official Harold's Chicken bag directory]
* [http://chicagoist.com/2006/01/27/an_ode_to_harolds_chicken_shack.php An Ode To Harold's Chicken Shack] - from ''Chicagoist'', a blog about the Chicago area
* [http://www.myspace.com/haroldschickenshackonline Myspace page (unofficial) for Harold's Chicken Shack]
* [http://www.myspace.com/haroldschicken Myspace page (unofficial) for Harold's Chicken Shack2]
* [http://www.gawker.com/news/ghetto-pass/ghetto-pass-the-ghetto-chicken-spot-225989.php (Gawker) Ghetto Pass: The Ghetto Chicken Spot]
{{Chicago}}
{{Establishments serving chicken}}
[[Category:Fast-food poultry restaurants]]
[[Category:Fast-food chains of the United States]]
[[Category:Fast-food franchises]]
[[Category:Restaurants in Chicago]]
[[Category:Companies based in Chicago, Illinois]]
[[Category:Chicken]]
[[Category:Fast-food poultry restaurants]]
[[Category:Culture of Chicago, Illinois]]