Story Photos
 John Bottari paints the finishing touches at the new Church's Chicken in Woodland on Monday. Roger Werth / The Daily News
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Church's Chicken brings Southern flavor to Woodland
Tuesday, December 2, 2008 6:36 PM PST
By Leila Summers
Printable version
E-mail this articleWOODLAND — A fried chicken franchise popular in the South and East Coast is pecking its way into Cowlitz County.
The doors of Church’s Chicken are scheduled to open in Woodland later this month, said franchise owner Abdul Quddus.
The new restaurant is expected to employ about 30 people and will occupy the former Dairy Queen building at 1225 Lewis River Road, not far from Interstate 5.
“We’re about half way through with construction,” said Quddus, a Vancouver resident who also owns A&W restaurants in Vancouver and Puyallup.
Quddus decided to bring Church’s Chicken to Woodland, he said, because its close to the freeway and there’s no other chicken restaurant franchise within 10 miles.
It’s also a test to see how well the franchise will do in a small Northwest market, he said.
“If we can make it here, we can make it anywhere,” he said.
The Woodland location is the third Church’s Chicken in Washington. The others opened in the Seattle area within the last two years, Quddus said.
“Its a very good brand, it’s just not out here in the Northwest,” he said.
The chain is most popular in Southern states, Texas in particular, he said.
In San Antonio, Texas, the chain’s birthplace in the 1950’s, “there’s Church’s every two or three miles,” Quddus said.
The chain is also popular in the Southeast and Midwest, he said.
According to the company’s Web site, Church’s Chicken is the second-largest chicken franchise organization in the United States, behind KFC.
As of December 2007, the company had 1,600 locations in 19 countries, with system sales exceeding $1 billion, according to the Church’s Chicken Web site. The company has plans to expand to 2,500 restaurants by 2010.
Quddus said the menu includes regular and cajun-flavored chicken, fried okra, corn on the cob and tasty honey biscuits.
The chicken at Church’s is never frozen or pressure-cooked. It is breaded twice before serving, Quddus added.
“We’re excited to be in Woodland,” Quddus said. “This is our first Church’s Chicken in Southwest Washington and Portland area.”
worriedone wrote on Dec 2, 2008 6:19 AM:
I wish them a lot of luck in these trying times, I for one will be traveling for some chicken and okra! "
Rural Citizen wrote on Dec 2, 2008 9:12 AM:
Good thing they eat food that will kill them. "
Kelso, WA wrote on Dec 2, 2008 11:40 AM:
Lucky7 wrote on Dec 2, 2008 12:47 PM:
Lucky7 wrote on Dec 2, 2008 12:49 PM:
Uncle Ruckus wrote on Dec 2, 2008 1:37 PM:
CONCERENED wrote on Dec 2, 2008 2:25 PM:
safetygirl wrote on Dec 2, 2008 2:55 PM:
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