Harold’s Chicken and Ribs

Specialties

Harold’s has been a Chicago South Side institution for many years and is known for its uniquely prepared chicken. Harold’s (short for Harold’s Chicken Shack), is considered by many, to be «the fried chicken king of the South Suburbs.» Founded in 1950, Harold’s Chicken Shack was established by the late Harold Pierce. His first Restaurant was located in Chicago Illinois at 47^th and Greenwood. Harold explained his reasoning for starting such a business: «When I was a child, a Preacher came to our house and ate all our chicken.» «I told my Mother then that when I got to be a Big Boy I was going to open a chicken restaurant!» Over the years (as business grew), Mr. Pierce began franchising them out. Harold’s Chicken has become a staple in many communities across the state of Illinois and is constantly growing each year. There are now several Harold’s Chicken Shacks throughout the country. In places such as Champaign IL. Bloomingdale IL. Wicker Park IL. Detroit MI. Dallas TX. Las Vegas NV. and Atlanta GA.

History

Established in 1950.

Harold Pierce (August 11, 1917 — March 8, 1988) was an African-​American entrepreneur who founded the successful Harold’s Chicken Shack restaurant chain in Chicago.

Pierce was born in Midway, Alabama and moved to Chicago in 1943 from Freemanville, Alabama to work as a chauffeur for Jack Stern, a furniture store owner. By 1950, he was running a small restaurant with his wife, Hilda, on 39^th Street. The H & H specialized in chicken feet and dumplings. Pierce thought that he could adapt his recipe for fried chicken, and a friend, Gene Rosen, who ran a poultry shop nearby, offered him some chickens to experiment with. The resultant recipe caused Pierce to open Harold’s Chicken Shack at 47^th and Greenwood in 1950.