CHICAGO — The CEO of Chicago’s beloved Harold’s Chicken Shack has died, according to a Wednesday announcement from her loved ones.
Kristen Pierce-Sherrod, daughter of the chicken joint’s late founder, Harold Pierce, died at the age of 55. News on when and how Pierce-Sherrod died were not immediately shared in the social media announcement.
“On behalf of Harold’s Chicken Corporate and The Chicago Children Equestrian Center, we are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our Chief Executive Officer,” those close to Pierce-Sherrod shared in a Wednesday post honoring her legacy.
“The family extends their sincere gratitude for the outpouring of prayers and condolences. At this time we kindly ask that their privacy be respected during this time of bereavement. Arrangements will be announced at a later date.”
Harold’s Chicken Shack, a Chicago staple known for its crispy wings and fries drenched in a tangy “Mild Sauce,” was integral to Pierce-Sherrod’s life, she shared in a 2022 interview posted on the business’ page.
Her father, an Alabama native, founded Harold’s Chicken Shack in 1950 in Chicago’s Kenwood neighborhood.
An order of a six piece chicken meal from Harold’s Chicken on 87th Street. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
At the time, Pierce and his wife, Hilda, operated the H&H, a restaurant specializing in dumplings and chicken feet. Gene Rosen, a nearby poultry shop owner, sold Pierce chickens to fry using the restaurant’s unique recipe, and the dish was a hit, according to a 2006 profile from the Reader.
Pierce opened a takeout spot at 47th and Greenwood to serve the crunchy fried chicken, and the original Harold’s Chicken Shack was born. The rest is over half a century of history. Several Harold’s Chicken restaurants now exist across the nation from North Carolina to suburban Illinois.
Pierce-Sherrod, who was raised in Beaverville, Illinois, joined her mother in 2000 to “share the full capacity” of managing the family business, she said in a 2022 interview. She served as the CEO of the chicken chain for over 20 years.
While operating Harold’s Chicken Shack, Pierce-Sherrod also co-founded the Chicago Children Equestrian Center with her husband, Vincent Sherrod. Established in 2021, the nonprofit caters to underserved and vulnerable youth by teaching horsemanship and providing lessons of self-love and responsibility through equine experiences.
“Harold’s was a family,” Pierce-Sherrod said in the 2022 interview shared by the company. “We had a lot of people who knew my dad, and they were family as well … . Everyone got along. If anyone had a dispute, everyone would settle the dispute within the family. Everyone knew each other. I was raised around everyone in the business, so it was a big, extended family.”
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