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Saturday, February 15, 2014
"We set out two years ago to build Ezell's Famous Chicken as a national brand," said Dennis Waldron, who joined co-founders Lewis Rudd, Faye Stephens, and Darnell Rudd in the growth effort. "As the latest news demonstrates, the plan is working; Ezell's is growing at a remarkable pace. All of our franchise locations have outperformed forecasts, the expansion of national and international opportunities is the next step." Ezell's, which has been in business for 30 years, serves fresh, homemade food with character, said Owner Lewis Rudd.
"Our mission has always been to see Ezell's Famous Fried Chicken grow into an international brand. I don't know anything more rewarding and inspiring than bringing that dream to reality," he said. "From the beginning, we chose to use the best product and the best ingredients. Even before trans-fat-free was the law, we used trans-fat-free oils and continue to use 100-percent vegetable oils for all our frying. We believe in our motto, 'fresh, good, and fast!'" Ezell's has received a lot of recognition, including praise from Oprah Winfrey, as well as the readership of Esquire magazine. For her birthday party at Harpo Studios, Winfrey flew the co-founders out to Chicago to cook their chicken. She has also added the restaurant's fried chicken to her list of "favorite things." Meanwhile, readers of Esquire voted Ezell's "the most life-changing fried chicken in America." During the last quarter of 2013, Ezell's fourth and fifth franchise stores opened in the Seattle area. Overall, the company is in the midst of 25 percent year-over-year growth. More recently, the 10th restaurant in the chain opened in Rainier Valley, according to the release.
With the addition of franchise locations, a variety of new items have been added to the menu, including Cajun fries, buffalo chicken tenders and beer-battered onion rings. Ezell's has also developed a lineup of five chicken sandwiches and five salads that will soon be introduced at their new restaurant in Mill Creek.
The partnership with Waldron has been instrumental in generating the momentum to grow Ezell's Famous Chicken from the friendly confines of Seattle onto the national stage, according to the release. Before coming to Ezell's, Waldron had overseen the growth of Cinnabon from a humble startup to a successful chain with 400 locations throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Ezell's Chicken News and Press Releases
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