
14 Years Ago, A Famous Rapper Opened A Chicken Restaurant In Iowa
Where is time going? It feels like yesterday that this nonsense was happening in real-time. But it really has been 14 years since a small eastern Iowa town was nationally known whether they wanted to or not.
2011 was a much simpler time that started off with a bang, similar to this year. It was the year the most famous chicken shop in Iowa opened its doors and then closed pretty shortly after.

It's January 24th, 2025. This year, we're reminded through social media memories and other forms of reminders that Clinton, Iowa was the talk of the country. The residents or the local government weren't bringing the small eastern Iowa town national attention.
It was this guy. Flavor Flav.
Flav was the reason why national reporters, some of the first internet foodies, and "fans" from "everywhere" flocked to Clinton, Iowa. Flavor Flav and his business partner, Nick Cimino opened Flav's Fried Chicken.
Flav's Fried Chicken Opens Its Doors 14 Years Ago
14 years ago on January 24, 2011, co-founder of the rap group Public Enemy, television star, and rapper William Jonathan Drayton Jr., better known as Flavor Flav, opened up the first of what was supposed to be many locations of Flav's Fried Chicken in Clinton, Iowa.
Flavor Flav partnered with Nick Cimino, who at the time owned Mama Cimino's, a pizza shop in Clinton. Cimino and Flav met through Cimino's brother Peter who owned the other Mama Cimino's in Las Vegas, according to sources.
Peter sold fried chicken using Flavor Flav's recipe and wanted to make a national franchise. That started to become a reality when they opened up the first chain in my hometown and Cimino's hometown of Clinton.
How Was The Food At Flav's Fried Chicken?
I know people who worked at Flav's Fried Chicken in Clinton. A good portion of them weren't paid, they weren't impressed with how the food was made, and most didn't really didn't like working there. All good enough reasons for me to never have stepped foot in that building, even though I lived in Clinton at the time.
I was curious as to how it tasted so I did have someone bring me chicken from there once while I was working at Fareway and I wasn't impressed.
Every time I share this story, I'm reminded about how the guys that were in the radio seat I now sit in lived through this whirlwind as radio DJs. Former B100 morning show hosts Redhot Brian Scott and Tony Tone said the food was good but I should maybe double-check with them on that quote.
I've asked people on my personal Facebook over the years when this story popped up to share pictures and a review if they could remember what it tasted like. I certainly try to forget but you never forget one of the top 5 worst foods you've ever eaten. Others agreed and said the food was good, others said: "the chicken was nasty."
April Will Mark 14 Years Of Flav's Fried Chicken Closing
In just a few short months, I'll remind you how 14 years ago this April, Flav's Fried Chicken closed up shop.
If you can recall, Flav's Fried Chicken in Clinton didn't last long. After bounced checks, owner disputes, and awful business decisions, Flav's Fried Chicken closed its doors in Clinton on April 24, 2011.
Flav's business partner, Nick Cimino, told the Clinton Herald back in 2011 when asked about the business failing,
“(Flav) takes credit for everything and he has to be stopped,” Cimino said. “He will keep doing this to other communities. Everything that comes out of his mouth is a lie. He didn’t know what was going on with the business, he confused everybody and he wanted to switch how I ran the business. He was supposed to be here for appearances and run with the public.”
As he should have, Cimino actually apologized to the residents of Clinton for "bringing such an imposter and fraud into Clinton."
Where is everyone now? Flav was the Duke's Mayo mascot and was the hype man for the USA Olympic team. Where is everyone else? Hopefully, not making chicken.
Happy 14 years Flav's Fried Chicken.
This Hy-Vee Is A One Of Its Kind In Iowa & Illinois
Gallery Credit: Connor Kenney/Townsquare Media Quad Cities
Iowa Goodwill Stores Do Not Accept These 23 Items
Gallery Credit: Canva/Unsplash
More From AM 950 KOEL








