Crowe's Chicken is returning to Troy after 7 years
An old Troy favorite chicken spot is returning under new ownership after seven years of absence.
Crowe's Chicken opened in Troy 50 years ago, in 1976. Ever since then, it’s been a Pike County staple and, until 2018, part of the identity of Troy. A second location opened in Brundidge in 1999 and another one in Ozark last year.
“When I originally came to Troy (State) University in 2000, the old Crowe’s was fire, lit, or as we used to say, the bomb,” said Rachel McDaniel, a nontraditional junior studio art major from Troy, Alabama. “When it closed in Troy, all of my friends that graduated and moved away were saddened to hear that they could no longer get Crowe’s when they came back to town for games.
“Crowe’s is Troy to so many people.”
The Ozark location was opened by the Whatley family, the same people who will soon be leading the charge at the new Crowe's in Troy.
“For us, opening Crowe’s in Troy is about more than opening another restaurant,” said Taneesha Whatley, one of the owners. “It’s about family, hard work, continuing a legacy of entrepreneurship, and building something that we can be proud of and that the Troy community can enjoy.”
Now that Crowe's is returning to where it started, McDaniel and everyone else who remembers how much they loved Crowe's has been waiting for their local favorite to reopen.
“I think the hype is real for locals and alumni,” McDaniel said. “It is nostalgic – It’s memories – It’s friends and family.
“I honestly think it’s going to be wrapped up for a good while. It’s worth the wait though; I’ll be in that drive-thru ASAP for my medium snack, extra sauce and fried okra.”
Over the past year, the new Ozark location has caught some criticism from people for being too different from the Brundidge or original Troy locations. Now that the same owners are opening another location in the town where the chicken shop started, there’s some pressure for them to get it right.
“We know there are expectations, and honestly, we welcome that,” Whatley said. “We respect that history tremendously.
“At the same time, we want people to give us the opportunity to introduce them to what we’re bringing to Troy now. Come in, try it for yourself and tell us what you think.”
For Whatley, the source of her confidence in their quality and success comes from having her whole family behind her, not just in this business journey, but everything they’ve ever done.
“We have a very strong support system within the Whatley family, and that support has played a huge role in everything we do,” Whatley said. “We’re fortunate to have family members who have built businesses, learned from their experiences and are willing to pour that knowledge into the next generation.”
The next generation, Whatley’s stepsons, have benefited from their parents being business owners as well. Ethan and Tyler Whatley run 2 Brothers Frozen Treats, an ice-cream truck in the area. Tyler, a freshman sports management major from Troy, said he’s learned a lot from his family when it comes to being an entrepreneur.
“Growing up around a business has honestly been pretty cool,” Tyler said. “I’ve been around it for most of my life, so I’ve gotten to see how everything works and how much work actually goes into it.
“It can definitely be challenging sometimes, but I feel like it has taught me a lot at a young age and helped prepare me for the real world.”
His little brother, Ethan, said he was confident in his family’s ability to succeed with Crowe's because of the confidence they’ve had in him to succeed.
“I'm thankful to have a family that supports our goals and pushes us to keep going,” Ethan said. “I know that none of this would be possible without them.”
Crowe's will officially open soon, and it is located next to the Texaco gas station behind Walgreens at 202 Elba Highway.
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