"We know this is a small location," Tanesha Whatley told the Troy Messenger this week, standing in the space at 202B Elba Highway, the suite next to the Texaco station. "But we wanted to start small and then grow."
That small suite is where Crowe's Fried Chicken is coming back to Troy. Picking it was a deliberate choice. The Whatley family is reopening a restaurant that many people in Pike County grew up on, and they're doing it in a spot where at least one local restaurant has already grown big enough to move out. That plan explains what will be on the counter when the doors open and what won't be there yet.
A Suite With a Track Record
Rike's Tacos was in the space before Crowe's. In the Messenger's Oct. 2 story, Tanesha Whatley said every restaurant that has used the location "has been successful and expanded," and she pointed to Rike's as the example.
You can trace where Rike's went. By August 2025, Rike's Tacos was open at 106 Plaza Loop Road, and the Messenger's photo of the new spot showed Isabel Castillo with her sons, Anthony Tzanahua and Rike Tzanahua. The paper said the move came "a little sooner than expected." In December 2025, the Pike County Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting for its grand reopening in a larger location off U.S. Highway 231, with expanded seating.
The Rike's name also covers Rike's Burgers and Brew, which held its ribbon cutting on July 14, 2025. Chamber President Bethany Allen handed that business's first dollar of profit to Anthony Tzanahua of Rike's Burgers and Brew. Rike's Burgers and Brew is listed at 72 N Court Square. That's probably why the Messenger's Crowe's story says Rike's "moved to the square." The taco restaurant itself went to Plaza Loop Road. The burger concept is the one downtown.
Either way, a small counter on Elba Highway eventually turned into two Rike's restaurants, and the Whatleys are following the same plan.
Why Crowe's Is Worth Bringing Back Carefully
Crowe's has a long history in Troy. In 2018, the Messenger ran a photo of Robert Jones filling an order at the Crowe's on U.S. Highway 231. Jones started there as assistant manager in 1981 and had owned the business for 21 years by then. He was also serving on the Troy City Council for District 1 after his election in August 2016.
That same year, filmmaker James Radford's short documentary "Crowe's" was selected for the 2018 Sidewalk Film Festival in Birmingham. Radford describes the film as the story of "a beloved chicken shack" in his hometown. In December 2019, the Messenger reported that Jones had sold the Troy business after three decades as its owner.
After that, Troy went without a Crowe's for a while. "It's been a while since there has been a Crowe's in Troy," Qurnequr Whatley said. Whatley opened a Crowe's Fried Chicken in Ozark in March 2025 and thanked founder Sherill Crowe for allowing the family to reopen in Troy "and continue his legacy."
"I grew up eating Crowe's Fried Chicken and I'm glad we were chosen to reopen the restaurant in Troy," Qurnequr Whatley said.
The family already had an Ozark location running before they took on Troy. They also have the founder's blessing and a name with a documentary behind it. That's the main reason to start small. People will judge this chicken against what they remember, so the plan is to get the original right first and add to it later.
What's on the Counter at Launch, and What Comes Later
Tanesha Whatley said the Troy location will serve "the original Crowe's menu" and expand as the business grows. Here's how the plan breaks down, based on what the family told the Messenger:
| At opening | Planned for later |
|---|---|
| Chicken dinners from two to 20 pieces | Catfish, eventually on the menu |
| Chicken nuggets in small, medium and dinner sizes | Catfish Friday, which was added after the original menu |
| 10-piece livers and 10-piece gizzards | Uber Eats delivery |
| BBQ beans, potato salad, coleslaw, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, fried okra, fries | DoorDash delivery |
| Crowe's original chicken dipping sauce | Wider service as the business grows |
| A newly installed drive-thru |
The catfish line is the one longtime customers may ask about. "We won't be having Catfish Friday right now, that was added to the original menu later," Tanesha Whatley said. "But, we do plan to have catfish on the menu in the future."
The drive-thru is the one new feature you'll see on day one. It makes sense for a small suite. A drive-thru lets the restaurant serve more customers than the dining space could hold, so the family can test demand before taking on a bigger lease.
"We wanted to bring back the family and childhood memories of Crowe's Chicken," Tanesha Whatley said. "It's a staple of the community."
How Opening Day Gets Set
As of the Messenger's Oct. 2 report, Crowe's in Troy had not opened yet. The family said most of the work was done. Employees had already been through training, they'd run taste tests, and all inspections were complete. Tanesha Whatley described the last steps this way:
- One remaining piece of equipment was expected to arrive the week after the Oct. 2 story.
- The family planned to install it the day it arrived.
- Employee training would happen the next day.
- The restaurant would open the day after that.
That means opening day depends on a delivery truck, not a date on the calendar. The family set up the Crowe's Chicken of Troy Facebook page for official news, and that's where the opening date will be announced first.
If the equipment arrives on time, Crowe's could open during an already busy week in Pike County. The Pike County Fair runs Oct. 6–10 at the Shriner's Fairgrounds. Gates open 6–10 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 5–10 p.m. Saturday. Armbands cost $20, or $15 on the Tuesday and Thursday special nights. Pioneer Days runs Friday and Saturday, Oct. 9 and 10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Pioneer Museum of Alabama. Admission is $12, and children five and under and museum members get in free. A small kitchen in its first week may run short on some items during a week like that. Watching the Facebook page before you drive over is the safest plan.
If You Can't Wait for Elba Highway
Brundidge has had its own Crowe's for years. When the 2018 documentary came out, the Messenger described Crowe's as a community favorite with restaurants in both Troy and Brundidge. A Crowe's Chicken is listed at 334 N Main St. in Brundidge, with posted hours of Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. That listing has no date, so call before you go.
The Ozark location the Whatleys opened in March 2025 is the other option, and it shows how the family runs a Crowe's.
When the Troy location does open, you'll find it at 202B Elba Highway, next to the Texaco, with a new drive-thru and the original menu.
At David Adams Realty, we've watched small Troy businesses like Rike's and Crowe's grow out of starter spaces over the years, and we're happy to see a Pike County favorite come home. If you own a small commercial space in Troy, or you're wondering how a location like this one fits into the local market, talk to a local expert on our team. We'll give you a straightforward answer.
