» Owners: Seth and Crissy Champion opened the first Champy's Famous Fried Chicken on M.L. King Boulevard with about $7,000 in cash and a loan from Crissy's father.
» Started: June 2009
Champy's Famous Fried Chicken official logo. / Contributed photo from Champy's» Signature item: Hand-breaded, fried chicken made from an old family recipe from Down in the Delta that is more than 40 years old. All of their birds are marinated for 24 hours in a blend of secret spices, then battered and fried upon ordering to ensure ultimate freshness.
» Menu offerings: Foods are made from scratch and include southern-style fried green tomatoes, smoked sausage, hot wings and fried jalapeños. Plates include cole slaw and baked beans.
» Locations: Eight restaurants, including Chattanooga locations at 526 E. M.L. King Boulevard and 6925 Lee Highway, and in Alabaster, Alabama; Athens, Georgia; Daphne, Alabama; Madison, Alabama; Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and Muscle Shoals, Alabama
» Future growth: Champion, who says he has carefully managed the restaurant's growth to avoid the quality problems that come with growing too fast, is shooting to have 10 locations - up from seven currently - by the time he turns 40. "We like controlled, quality growth at Champy's where all restaurants are healthy; that's the key to ensuring the base layer of something much bigger," Champion said.
» Motto: "Blues, Brews and Birds"
» Awards: "Best of the Best " winner from the Chattanooga Times Free Press for six consecutive years for Best Fried Chicken. In 2012, Urban Spoon named Champy's one of the 100 most popular cheap eats from among 1 million restaurants reviewed. In the Chattanooga section of the top places to visit in the U.S., The Best Of issue of Southern Living listed Champy's as a place to come eat.
» Website: champyschicken.com