On Lake Street in Downtown Oak Park, I was excited to see that a Harold's was opening in what used to be the Puree's Pizza place. But when I looked into it, turns out this wasn't going to be a place that's related to the Harold's Chicken places I used to visit on the southside when we lived in Kenwood. It was going to be a Harold's Shrimp & Chicken, a different company altogether.
Harold's Chicken is a long-time Chicago standard. Harold's Shrimp & Chicken is a new company, and I'd read on their site that their business model is to buy up places that sell pizza, and then retro-fit them to sell fried shrimp and chicken (and sometimes also pizza).
Both places are named Harold's, both have that name in a similar script-like font, and both sell fried chicken and fish.
I've had Harold's Chicken many times, but I don't believe I've ever had anything from Harold's Shrimp & Chicken, though I definitely will when the place in Oak Park opens (it's been re-done inside but, I've heard through the grapevine, the owners are waiting for licensing issues to be cleared up before they officially open -- it's been months now).
The name Harold's Shrimp & Chicken seems like a rather transparent effort to "confuse the consumer," and I wonder if anyone here has any further background information about Harold's Shrimp & Chicken.
"Don't you ever underestimate the power of a female." Bootsy Collins