Seattle Fried Chicken Restaurant Heaven Sent Is Closing Permanently | Eater Seattle

"The founder who split off from the original chain officially in 2011 — after divorcing his wife, Faye Stephens, who had founded the business with him and her brother Lewis Rudd — went on to open his own fried chicken restaurant, which had four locations at its peak. Though he no longer had the rights to the original name, both sides could use the chicken recipe. The independent restaurant never recovered from the pandemic; Stephens “cited the costs of goods, services and the new minimum wage as contributing factors.” Its last day of business will be February 28. Stephens told the Times he was getting ready “to explore life after chicken,” which could mean motivational speaking to inspire Black entrepreneurs in particular (something he already does), restaurant consulting, or even doing some fried chicken restaurant reviews. “I plan to see what else God has planned for me,” Stephens told the Times, “and I’m sure it’s exciting.”" - Harry Cheadle