I asked somebody the other night when I was down there I said, ‘Am I dead?’ You get your flowers when you die. I mean, all of this acknowledgement, you can’t believe it. You recently were entered into the Hall of Fame here at the Entrepreneur Center. It was a great place to discuss and just express your opinion.” “They’d still be sitting, standing up there waiting on their chicken, discussing their politics or whatever. People had been requesting for us to come to Antioch for a long, long, long time. And from the beginning, this is the first time that we’ve ever ventured with the opening on Nolensville Road. And being in the hood, it’s always been in the hood. “As mama said, people eat, and we all have that in common. What has this business meant? What did that exposure and all of that mean to the black community in Nashville? The President sent his secret service down, which I appreciate, to get the chicken…People just totally go wild, and I appreciate that.” “We had plenty of famous people–Obama even. He fed everybody that came through the doors for two hours. When he comes, he brings his entourage, and the last time he was there, he fed everybody. André laughs, “He can’t stand anything hot. “Shaquille O’Neal has been there several times, but I told him he was such a wimp ‘cause he eats it plain,” Ms. Who are some of the famous people who have come into Prince’s and love that recipe? You come to Nashville, and that’s your first stop,” Tamara says. We get to talking and I think it’s just that renowned factor, especially being Prince’s. “I had a couple two weeks ago that came straight from London, two children in tow, and their first stop was Prince’s. His love for Prince’s Hot Chicken led him to creating the first Hot Chicken Festival in 2007, giving hot chicken a spotlight in Nashville and creating a new craze for those seeking a Southern experience. Why do you think hot chicken is so popular around the world now?įormer Nashville Mayor Purcell often referred to Prince’s as his second office. Great Uncle Thornton Prince had named it.”Īnd the name Prince’s Hot Chicken was born–a name Nashville residents know and love. I renamed it from Barbecue Chicken Shack because that’s what my Uncle had. André says, “It was renamed when I took over because I wanted the family to get the recognition. “ I took over in 1980 at the suggestion of my mother…They were making plans for me because my mother was already suffering with breast cancer in the hospital,” Ms. How long have you been serving up chicken at Prince’s? As part of the core team for Prince’s Hot Chicken – Assembly Food Hall, she helps create a welcoming environment that cultivates the ultimate guest experience and continues to implement the same family charm that leaves an impression on all guests. With more than 30 years in the industry and experience with major brands, she has a wealth of operational knowledge to pull from. Tamara Kelly is an energetic and widely experienced hospitality manager. André has maintained the southern family charm within the business which has kept customers and even presidents coming back for more. Shaping the cultural significance of Nashville and hot chicken, Ms. Gourmet magazine named it as one of Nashville’s four “don’t-miss dining experiences”, and they were also in episodes on the network’s Bizarre Foods America and Man v. In 2013, they were named an American Classic by the James Beard Foundation Awards. André’s fun-loving spirit and passion for hot chicken has propelled her uncle’s chicken shack into what it is today while picking up quite a few awards along the way. André continues the family tradition at Prince’s Hot Chicken. The Prince family has been serving hot chicken for 80 years, and Ms. André Prince Jeffries and Tamara Kelly of Prince’s Hot Chicken royalty. Anyone hungry for hot chicken? We know we are after this delicious conversation with Ms.
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