SAN ANTONIO – For most of his life, Eddie Chatman has worked in the food industry. His restaurant off South W.W. White Road, Chatman’s Chicken, has been a staple on the East Side for 18 years.
“If ours tasted like everyone else, you’d have no reason to come,” Chatman said.
Their menu features fried chicken, tenders, liver, gizzards, hot wings and fried pork riblets. Everything is marinated for 21 hours and breaded with a secret recipe.
Chatman’s is known for having some of the best chicken in town, but besides his customers leaving satisfied with his great food, Chatman goes above and beyond as an owner.
“I saw how a manager can impact his employees, and that’s why I look forward to doing to impact the people that come to work for me,” Chatman said.
A lot of the employees that work for him are students, and he makes sure whenever they move on they have learned some life lessons.
“If they’re flunking school, I take them off my schedule or if they acting grown around the house and the parents call me, I take them off my schedule so they can go back to remembering who they are,” he said.
For the past 18 years, many have succeeded because of his goodwill and willingness to mentor them.
He’s also selfless, making sure all 12 of his current employees have been taken care of during the coronavirus pandemic and have kept them all on the payroll.
Luckily, he’s been able to stay open the entire time as his customers keep coming in to eat his popular fried chicken.
“I thank God for every last one of my customers because they could have went anywhere else,” he said.
Chatman’s Chicken is open every day of the week.
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