When asked what the biggest struggle was during his first year of business, Chicken & Tings owner Emelio Madden replies, “Finding good staff.”

Madden has strict standards for his employees, and it shows. From daily WhatsApp blasts and easy online ordering to bike delivery teams who accept all forms of payment, Madden focuses on delivering exceptional customer service and tasty meals.

At 22, Madden and his brother and business partner Larenzo Douse took the entrepreneurial leap. “I started the business to become financially independent and provide jobs for my family and my wider community. Today my wife, mother, brother, and sister manage the stores,” he said. “Building a successful family business is a pathway towards creating generational wealth.”

Today, 15 years after serving its first meal, Chicken & Tings operates three locations — Half-Way-Tree, Cross Roads, and Manning’s Hill Road, each with a loyal customer base. “We didn’t have access to investments or loans to open. But my brother and I were focused; we saved our salaries and built this business,” he said.

Like businesses, large and small, resilience has been the Chicken & Tings hallmark; its superpower. The pandemic delivered a resounding blow to the local food industry, and the rising costs have offered unwelcome additional complications. Despite these challenges, and armed with business savvy and the support of his supplier partners like The Best Dressed Chicken, Madden has been able to keep Chicken & Tings meals affordable. “My profit is in the buying, not the selling. Unfortunately, food costs have increased because there have been global increases in the prices of all the inputs. Still, we must protect our customers as best we can, and relationships make this business work. For example, my Best Dressed Chicken sales contact will call or WhatsApp me and alert me of price increases and let me know that if I order today, I can lock in the lower price and get delivery at my convenience.”

Additionally, Madden explained that strategies like central warehousing, where all the products are processed, seasoned and then shipped to the three restaurants, further help his company navigate operating in a demanding environment.

What’s next for Chicken & Tings? “I would like to franchise. I can envision Chicken & Tings restaurants all over Jamaica and the Caribbean.”

Whatever his next moves, Madden will serve as inspiration for would-be entrepreneurs with vision and a strong work ethic.

So, what’s the one thing that defines his success. According to Madden, it’s simple, “I am on location every day.” During the pandemic, his presence in the restaurants shored up morale, delivered frictionless troubleshooting, and allowed staff members to focus on their core responsibilities. Now, when he walks into a location, both customers and staff greet him enthusiastically, affectionately calling him “Chicken Boss.”