Our Story

A Legacy Of Family & Flavor

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. 

In 1965, Chester the Chicken came to life with his cowboy hat, bandana, and spurs. Adding proprietary products to the lineup created the brand’s signature taste and became known as Chester Fried in 1974. In 2022, “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-driven franchise model. Ted W. Giles, son of the founder, 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 franchised and licensed locations in the US and Canada. The market primary consists of store-in-store concepts, including convenience stores, truck stops, supermarkets, and other similar venues with locations all over the country.