Two NYC Fast-Food Joints Change Names to 'Obama Fried Chicken,' Ruffling More than Some Feathers, Walgreen's Pulls Chia Obama's From Shelves

Sign atop Obama Fried Chicken and Pizza at 110th St. Nicholas Ave.
Photo: Giancarli for New York Daily News

A fool lives in Brooklyn and New York City. You see, two opportunists changed the names of their restaurants to Obama Fried Chicken. Yes, the new name is ruffling more than feathers. The names were prominent on their restaurant awnings. I am surprised this flew under the radar for so long because S&T Fried Chicken on St. Nicholas Avenue in Harlem changed its name several weeks ago. Last week Royal Fried Chicken on Rutland Road in Brownsville, Brooklyn did so. They claim they want to pay homage to the nation's first black president. Really? Financial gain is more what I see in their decisions, which, by the way, is ill-advised. Had that been a white establishment naming their restaurant, a chicken joint after the president, all hell would break loose. The bigger issue at hand here is a "do as I say and not as I do" mentality. They are saying that it's okay to perpetuate a negative stereotype because we are black but no-one else dare try.

Sorry, but President Obama's name should not be used in such a manner. When was the last time you pulled up to a George Bush Bar & Grill in Crawford, Texas? I don't care what the owners' intentions were, to use the president's name in such a manner is just plain wrong. They are in it for the money. Besides, aren't there legal implications here? Using his name on a business without his permission? It is distasteful that they would try to profit from such a historic election.


This comes on the heels of the "Chia Obama" being pulled from the shelves of Walgreen's stores. It's simply not worth the headache. Did anyone see a Chia Bush of a Chia Clinton? At what point do we cross the line with likenesses of the president?