King reminisces on more than three decades serving Pickens

By Rocky Nimmons
Publisher
rnimmons@thepccourier.com

PICKENS — The city of Pickens has a rich history spanning nearly 250 years. From the intial settlement of the town to the era of sawmills and cotton mills, and later the manufacturing jobs provided by the Singer plant, later known as Ryobi, the community has evolved over time.

Cruising on Main Street and the exceptional Pickens Blue Flame football run of the 1970s are among the moments that defined what some consider a “golden era” for the city, and one common thread through many of those memoriesis the lower Bantam Chef.

Pickens’ two Bantam Chefs

A local institution owned and operated for more than 32 years by Riley King of Easley, the lower Bantam Chef was one of two restaurants bearing the Bantam Chef name in Pickens in the late 20th century.

Bantam Chefs were a staple in most towns in the area in the 1960s and 1970s but King said they were all independently owned.

“Most owners had more than one location,” he told the Courier. “The lower Bantam Chef was only one I owned,” he continued.

King said his father, JR King, Ralph Whitmire and Roy Campbell were originally in partnership and owned both the upper and lower Bantam Chefs and that they also owned Bantam Chefs in Easley, Piedmont and Belton.

“They leased them out on a percentage. After my

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