The son of devout church-going Dutch immigrant Christians, Jim Vander Horst grew up on the east side of Kalamazoo, Michigan during the great depression. His first after-school job was at Hoekstra's Meat Market stocking shelves and cutting meat. His energetic work habits and integrity from his strict religious upbringing allowed Jim to quickly rise from butcher to managing the meat departments at A&P and Meijer Thrifty Acres. In 1966 Jim and his wife Carol decided to work for themselves and opened their own fast-food restaurant. At first people wondered what kind of food a Chicken Coop could produce, but one taste soon gave the answer! The bright orange A-frame quickly became well-known for tasty fried chicken and fish served up fast and affordably. Jim and Carol's little experiment eventu.