Is it a real Harold’s? Robbins restaurant caught in messy name fight
ROBBINS, Ill. – A popular chicken shack in Robbins has been ordered to stop doing business under the Harold’s Chicken name.
Harold’s
The backstory:
Robbins Mayor Darren Bryant was grazed by a bullet while at Harold’s Chicken and Ice Bar last August.
Shortly after, Harold’s Chicken Corporation told the place it was operating without the company’s authorization and the restaurant-bar has been closed.
Harold’s Chicken and Ice Bar is one of three restaurants ordered to cease and desist. The others are in Chicago and Hammond but this one had a fatal shooting in August.
Police say a masked gunman came in shooting. A bullet grazed Bryant as he tried to escape with other patrons.
An armed security guard shot and killed 29-year-old Marquell Rose of Chicago. Another man was wounded.
The business was a popular night-time social establishment, with video gaming and a liquor license, not your typical chicken shack.
The Harold’s Chicken Corporation wants it to remove signage and stop operating as a Harold’s, or pay a compensation fee of $3,000 a month.
The cease and desist order alleges the business is causing confusion and harm to Harold’s reputation and business interests.
The company’s attorney happens to be former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
She also investigated the finances of the town of Dolton under Mayor Tiffany Henyard.
Robbins residents say they wanted that business to lead the way for other development in the struggling village.
Businessman and Robbins resident Darrell Mitchell owns the building next door.
“Well, I’ll say a lot of people are confused. A lot of people are upset because, there was definitely high expectations for us having a new business and having a business that had sort of a national name. And Harold’s definitely is a Chicago name. So, you know, there are some, some rumors that are going around as far as,” Mitchell said.
Is it real Harold’s? Is it a fake Harold’s?
I was a little upset myself because this was the kind of the first step in bringing sort of a national business to our community. So hopefully we can get this behind us.”
The Village of Robbins owns the property and leases it to Kevin Phillips, according to documents.
Trustees say the rent has not been paid and the business should not have gambling inside.
A spokesperson for the village says the name dispute comes from a power struggle within the Harold’s family, which he called a private matter.
The village has no comment.
The Source: The information in this report came from Harold’s Chicken Corporation, Robbins village officials, police, court and property documents, Robbins Mayor Darren Bryant, and Robbins resident and businessman Darrell Mitchell.
