If you want the best fried chicken in Seattle, there’s only one place to go: Ezell’s Famous Chicken. Just ask Oprah.

Growing up on a farm in Texas, Ezell didn’t have much, but he did inherit his parents’ belief in the value of hard work. In 1973, he joined the Coast Guard and was stationed in Seattle. “My first day here, I knew this was the place for me. I decided to bring really great chicken to Seattle.”

From the first restaurant in Seattle’s Central District in 1984 to the opening of the sixth Ezell’s in August 2009, Ezell’s Famous Chicken’s amazing growth comes from the energy of its namesake. When asked how many hours he works a week, he chuckles. “All of ‘em. Time keeps running, and I have to run along with it.”

A devout Christian, Ezell credits most of his success to a higher power. “I’m just following the path that was laid for me,” he says. “I couldn’t have done all this myself, but when you follow the path, the rest is easy.”

Anyone watching Ezell at work would not describe what he does as “easy.” Behind the counter, Ezell is a blur of activity, moving quickly between stations, cooking, cleaning, frequently with the phone cradled between his head and shoulder. With his deep voice and easy laugh, Ezell keeps up a constant patter, and diners see immediately how much he and his employees love what they do.

“They’re surprised to see the Ezell behind the counter,” he says. “I tell them, the same man who cooked for Oprah is cooking for you. That’s how important you are!”

Ezell’s strong belief in community service is part of the reason he’s been with GHCU since 1979. “I’m not driven by money,” he says. “Banks are. Their rules are all for making a profit for the shareholders. That’s why I prefer a credit union. For me, money is a tool I can learn to use to change the lives of people.”

If you’re in Seattle at mealtime, drop by an Ezell’s Famous Chicken. You may see the man himself behind the counter. If he’s not too busy, he might just tell you his Oprah story.

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