Flavor Flav opens fried chicken restaurant in Iowa
Flavor Flav is looking to "blow up your taste buds, man."
January 24th, 2011
09:31 PM ET

Flavor Flav opens fried chicken restaurant in Iowa

Look out, Colonel Sanders. Flavor Flav has a fried chicken restaurant, and he's coming for you - starting in a small Iowa city.

The Public Enemy rapper and reality TV star opened Flav's Fried Chicken in Clinton, Iowa, on Monday with a business partner he met through a connection in Las Vegas, the Clinton Herald reported.

"My chicken ain't no joke. I ain't scared to go up against the Colonel, tastewise," Flav said, referring to chicken giant KFC, in a YouTube video of him frying chicken at Monday's opening.

The sight of Flav cooking at his own restaurant apparently won't be a one-time thing. He told the newspaper he intends to work at the Clinton location now and then to help draw customers. (Good news for the fledgling operation: If his trademark attire is any indication, he should have no trouble arriving to work on time.)

"You're going to find me in here working. … You're going to catch me in here seasoning up my chicken, flouring up my chicken, frying up my chicken. And not only that, but coming out here and serving my chicken to people," he said.

The idea for the venture came after Flav befriended Las Vegas restaurateur Peter Cimino. Flav cooked Cimino some chicken, and Cimino, duly impressed, had Flav sell his chicken wings at Mama Cimino's Pizza in Las Vegas, the rapper told northern Illinois news site SaukValley.com.

It was Cimino's brother, Clinton restaurateur Nick Cimino, who suggested he and Flav open a fried chicken restaurant in the Iowa city of roughly 26,000 people.

"He said, 'You know what, Flav? … What I want to do, I want to build you your first restaurant.' I'm like, 'Are you serious?' He's like, 'Yo, I’m dead serious, man. I’m going to go home, I'm going to build your first FFC restaurant,'" he told SaukValley.com.

Nick Cimino bought a building next to his own restaurant and got it ready for Monday’s opening, the Clinton Herald reported last week.

Flav, a 51-year-old New York native, told the newspaper he's developed his own special fried chicken recipe over the years, having grown up in a family that owned a diner and having attended cooking school in the late 1970s.

His chicken has "that deep down southern fried chicken" taste, and also has "some crisp going on up in there," he said.

"The taste … will blow up your taste buds, man," Flav told the Clinton Herald in an interview posted on YouTube.

Flav, who starred in the VH1 reality series "The Surreal Life" and "Flavor of Love," said he'll consider opening more FFCs after getting this one under way.

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Filed under: Celebrity • Food • Iowa • Music • Showbiz
soundoff (305 Responses)
  1. Chris Kerstiens

    "(Good news for the fledgling operation: If his trademark attire is any indication, he should have no trouble arriving to work on time.)"

    CNN – I have no idea who Jason Hanna is, but if he writes stuff like this I suggest you promote him or at least pay him more.

    January 25, 2011 at 10:58 am | Report abuse |
  2. white e

    I have got to say the menu sounds awesome. Fried chicken, greens, and macaroni and cheese. Now you know some of the black folk can cook the best soul (I call it country) food I have ever put in my mouth. That food is just as important to me when you stack the different types of food resteraunts as any! There was a little soul shack in New Orleans on broad that was awesome. You did not set down, no tables. You come in and get it to go and that big mama cook cook, I tell you. They would say " Food that will make you want to SMACK your mama!" I guess because they put so much in your go plate and it was soooo good, you would be full and smilin when done, no doubt! If this food is anything like hers, it will be a hit. New Orleans. Home of the chicken king Al Copeland, Popeyes (cajun and crispy), and now Churches Chicken (too greasy not enough seasoning). Yes, if this is done right, it will be a hit. I compliment Flave, it is a great idea and I will definately try it! Truth is though if he goes incorporating gangster hip hoppers in it though in some of the ad scenes, it will be a gamble with the people for sure for sure. Too bad the dirty language hip hop gave all hip hop a bad name with a lot of people. I could see a marketing bonanza for these folks, though, if it is done right. I have the greaseless chicken recipe so holla Flav and together we can make you the next Crazy Chicken King!!

    January 25, 2011 at 11:01 am | Report abuse |
  3. mark

    Chicken? Nah Flav, you need to launch a line of "time pieces"..........and gold teeth.

    January 25, 2011 at 11:34 am | Report abuse |
  4. carrie

    I was just in Vegas last weekend and stopped by the pizza joint specifically to try the wings. My friend and I couldn't WAIT to try them because Flava is so funny! However, we stood there without being acknowledged and left. Too bad. Would've loved to give them a shot. They're also very excited that the wings are $.99 each and honestly, at the end of the day, $9.90 for 10 wings is a little high. Heckuva profit margin, Flava.

    January 25, 2011 at 11:35 am | Report abuse |
  5. jillmarie

    Gotta love Flav. I watched his shows- he is SO funny! I don't eat meat, but I'd go to one of his restaurants to try some side dishes. Best of luck to him with his restaurant! I love how he wants to be so hands on, too.

    January 25, 2011 at 11:40 am | Report abuse |
  6. Ernest V.

    I can understand all the stupidity and stereotypes that are espoused on a forum like this but when a commentator like Jacqui Jeras says:

    "They must all like chicken" on the air.

    in relation to this story, I need to pause. It is sad to see that 'stupid' is an affliction that is spreading from the internet, to the minds, and out of the mouths of people who should be a little more intelligent. This is one of those moments when I worry about American moving backwards rather than forward.

    January 25, 2011 at 12:22 pm | Report abuse |
  7. Dave254

    Oh, man, where do you even START with the comments on this one?

    January 25, 2011 at 12:31 pm | Report abuse |
    • Angela

      It's to bad that we as a people have to eat if not they would be no need for any one to buy fried chicken especially when most people eat lt late at night. Senior Citizens and small children should stay away from any fried food but if we didn't have to eat at all we as a people would save lots of money right?

      February 20, 2011 at 1:58 am | Report abuse |
  8. MvK

    Hope hygiene will be #1 in his restaurant. I wouldnot eat his food, just looking at him frying without a haircap or proper chef attire.

    January 25, 2011 at 1:10 pm | Report abuse |
  9. Johnna

    Flavor Flav is nothing but a loser MORON.

    January 25, 2011 at 2:19 pm | Report abuse |
    • Bodacious

      And you're nothing but an empty c**t.

      January 25, 2011 at 3:14 pm | Report abuse |
    • mike

      So he's got more money than you, more fame than you (and in all probability is smarter than you, seeing as he's self-made), and yet he's a loser? What does that make you? LOL!

      Haters gonna hate, as they say.

      January 25, 2011 at 5:47 pm | Report abuse |
  10. Matt

    I think someone forgot to tell black people that it's not PC for them to like fried chicken because it makes white liberals feel uncomfortable. Maybe someone should tell Mexicans they aren't allowed to enjoy beans.

    January 25, 2011 at 2:20 pm | Report abuse |
  11. Toni

    Oh my this is what finally puts Clinton IA on the map!Believe me, I moved here from the big city of Rockford Il.Now I'm going to have to try this.I will say that I didn't like flavor of love or for that matter any of his music,however I don't think he or his partner did any market research.This area doesn't seem to be the kind of place to support this kind of restuarant.I have lived here for over 2years now and I've seen restuarants stay open all day with only 2-3 cars in the lot and they probably are owned by employees...that being said.hopefully he has the money to stay open for a while...

    January 25, 2011 at 2:28 pm | Report abuse |
  12. BTKPHD

    I'm black. I like chicken and watermelon. I have a PhD. Who cares, it's just food...and give me sum of that purple stuff!

    January 25, 2011 at 2:28 pm | Report abuse |
    • Angela

      Maybe I should start selling my caribbean fried chicken and fungi and you can sit down in front of the door step and eat it with your fingers ever tried that?

      February 20, 2011 at 2:05 am | Report abuse |
  13. Anna

    Flaaaavvvoooor Flaaaav. It seems that there has been nothing but good reviews about his chicken so far. If the food is good the joint will make it. Flav may be a little crazy, but you have to admit the guy is pretty entertaining. I have Flav's voice on my GPS from NavTones. It makes me laugh everyday! You can get it here: http://www.navtones.com/flavor-flav-gps-voice.html

    January 25, 2011 at 2:33 pm | Report abuse |
  14. Girth Johnson

    mmm chicken+collard greeens+cornbread+sweet tea= delicious. I will try to visit when im up that way Flav.

    January 25, 2011 at 2:47 pm | Report abuse |
  15. Ms Kay

    Why in the world would he open his first resturant here in iowa of all places though!!!! this can not be a good look on iowa!!! WHAT NEXT OMAHA NEBRASKA

    January 25, 2011 at 3:02 pm | Report abuse |
    • Bodacious

      Why not,

      January 25, 2011 at 3:11 pm | Report abuse |
    • Bodacious

      I also meant to add: YOU STUPID F******G HAYSEED!

      January 25, 2011 at 3:12 pm | Report abuse |
    • mike

      Because it's a small population, and probably cheap to open a restaurant there, thus it's a perfect test market.

      January 25, 2011 at 5:49 pm | Report abuse |
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