CHARLOTTE, N.C. — After more than 59 years, Price's Chicken Coop, the legendary South End lunch counter that's served all walks of life, is closing this weekend.
News of the Charlotte landmark closing up quickly spread on social media and hundreds of people lined up for one last box of Price's signature chicken. Bob Shibley went even farther. Literally.
He got in his truck and drove all night — over 400 miles from Florida — so he'd be first in line at Price's Friday.
"I got a text message yesterday from a friend that Price's Chicken Coop was closing down Saturday," Shibley said. "I'm 80-something years old. I didn't have anything else to do and I wanted one last time around on some good old gizzards.
"So I drove up last night, got here this morning, and hopefully, I'm going to get some chicken and gizzards."
Shibley, who now lives in Amelia Island, Florida, lived and worked in Charlotte for more than 40 years. Price's was a fixture for he and his crews when they worked a couple blocks away.
"We ate chicken out of here probably four days a week," Shibley said.
Price's last day of business is Saturday, June 19. It was one of the last holdouts in the ever-changing South End community. Shibley and other dedicated fans understand why it's going away but to them, it's more than just a cheap lunch.
"You've got to move on, I understand that," he said. "It's a piece of Charlotte, it's a piece of everybody's town. These places are closing all over the country but this was special to me.
"I hate to see it go but I understand. Time moves on and you get old and you've got to go, but I hate it for the local people."
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