Ezell’s continues to be going sturdy — the well-known, Oprah-endorsed regional fried rooster chain, formally known as Ezell’s Well-known Rooster, has 17 places unfold throughout the Seattle–Tacoma space, and yet one more down in Oregon. However the man who leant the enterprise his identify, Ezell Stephens, is bowing out of the fried rooster recreation, in keeping with the Seattle Instances.
Stephens cut up off from Ezell’s formally in 2011, after divorcing his spouse, Faye Stephens, based the enterprise with him and her brother Lewis Rudd. He then based his personal fried rooster restaurant, Heaven Despatched, which had 4 places at its peak. (Although he now not had the rights to the identify “Ezell’s,” either side of the cut up might use the rooster recipe.)
However Heaven Despatched has currently fallen on laborious instances. Stephens instructed the Instances that the enterprise by no means recovered from the pandemic and in addition “cited the prices of products, providers and the brand new minimal wage as contributing components” — frequent complaints from restaurant house owners in Seattle.
Heaven Despatched’s final day of enterprise can be February 28.
Stephens instructed the Instances that he was preparing “to discover life after rooster.” That might imply motivational talking to encourage Black entrepreneurs specifically — one thing he already does — or perhaps restaurant consulting, and even performing some fried rooster restaurant evaluations.
“I plan to see what else God has deliberate for me,” Stephens instructed the Instances, “and I’m certain it’s thrilling.”
