Chester's Chicken

The roots of the Chester's business date back to 1952, when W.O. Giles started frying donuts and later, chicken, with his patented fryers in Montgomery, AL. His innovations in equipment paved the way for today's foodservice business. In 1965, Chester the Chicken came to life with his cowboy hat, bandana, and spurs. Adding marinades, batter, and a special breading recipe to the product line, the brand achieved its world famous flavor and became known as Chester Fried in 1974. In 2002, "Fried" was dropped from the brand name, and it became "Chester's". In March of 2004, Chester's transitioned from a licensed QSR concept to a growth drive franchise model. Ted W. Giles, son of the founder and the second-generation CEO, is credited with growing the brand on three continents. In 2017, Wynn Giles succeeded his father, Ted, representing the third generation of Giles family leadership at Chester's. Wynn and his team have focused heavily on new product development, streamlining the supply chain, and creating a more robust support system for existing franchise partners. Today, Chester's remains a family-owned business with an aggressive growth strategy and over 1,300 locations in the US and Canada. The market primarily consists of store-in-store concepts, including convenient stores, truck stops, supermarkets, and other similar venues with locations all over the country.