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Ezell’s Famous Chicken celebrates its 40th anniversary

The restaurant is giving to charity and bringing back retro unis to mark the occasion.

Three employees at Ezell's Famous Chicken hold up biscuits and a pie in front of the restaurant's menu.

Since it’s early days in the 1980s, Ezell’s has expanded to 15 Seattle area restaurants.

Photo via Ezell’s Famous Chicken

This weekend, Ezell’s Famous Chicken celebrates its 40th anniversary.

The fried chicken chain opened its first location on Feb. 3, 1984 in the Central District and soon became a local favorite. (In case you didn’t hear, Oprah’s a fan, too.)

To honor its big b-day, staff at Ezell’s will be wearing retro 1980s uniforms throughout the month — so be sure to compliment them on the sharp duds if you visit.

The company also announced a “40 for 40” campaign through its Hazel Danielle Clayton Foundation (HDC) that raises money for youth-centered organizations in the Seattle and Portland areas. HDC is named after a former restaurant employee and community outreach specialist at Ezell’s who died in 2023.

Guests can contribute to the cause by adding a 40-cent donation to online orders this month.

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