The Chicken Man
The rambunctious life of David Harris, father, go-getter, and business owner.
David Harris is a man with a lot of character, as well as a man with great sorrow in his life. I’ve known Mr. Harris for a long time now, and have heard lots of stories. He and my dad have been best friends for the better part of 10 years now and they are very loyal to each other. Loyalty is one of the most important character traits to me, and I admire people that exhibit that.
Mr. Harris said “It’s not always about intelligence and opportunities. It’s about perseverance and sheer will. You’ve got to have the will to win.” Mr. Harris has had perseverance and sheer will all throughout his life. Going through what he has gone through, and coming out the other side a stronger and better man, as opposed to a sad and fragile man, is quite a feat.
What was your childhood like?
I went to a high school on the wrong side of the tracks. I grew up on a dirt road, and it was still a dirt road when I went to the University of North Carolina. My dad was a farmer and my mother worked at a pharmaceutical packing company. I was exposed to a life where no one ever left that place. My dad was a raging alcoholic until I was 14, so in my opinion, I lived 2 different childhoods.
How did you end up in the Smithfield Chicken & Barbeque business?
When I was at UNC, I worked at this restaurant called “Squids,” shucking oysters. I was looking at the newspaper one day and saw a job at SCNB. I went in for an interview and shortly after that, I began working there as an assistant manager in training.
My supervisor taught me everything that I needed to know about the restaurant business. I decided that I wanted more in life. I wanted to win and I wanted to succeed. I just had to outwork everyone around me. To be successful, It’s not always about intelligence and opportunities. It’s about perseverance and sheer will. You’ve got to have the will to win.
What was one of your best/smart business decisions?
I saw opportunities where other people didn’t see them. I didn’t have the financial means to just buy a nice restaurant, so I bought the shitty ones. I bought them at a cheap price and made them make some money.
Is there anything that you would have done differently if you could go do it again?
In general, I would’ve found a better work and life balance. For years, I was absent from family reunions and things. On the daily basis, I wouldn’t see my daughter. I would work until midnight and then be out of the house at 7 am in the mornin’. So I would never see her awake, so I would have definitely not have sacrificed the time that I was able to spend with my family, just to work. The term ‘winning at all costs’ really does mean winning at all costs.
If you had to pick 1 story from your life that shaped you as a person, what would it be?
I graduated from Carolina on Mothers Day, May 10th, 1992. On May 15th, 5 days later, the plane that my aunt and uncle, and cousin were on, they were on their way to Key West and had crashed. All three of them were killed. So I went from the highest of the high to the lowest of the low.
Seven days after graduating college and being on top of the world, I was in a church in front of 3 caskets, burying my family members. That taught me that there are ups and downs, like waves in the ocean. Bad days are going to come and what makes who we are is how we react to that.
The last thing is, the key to my success, in so many ways, is asking people questions. I don’t need to know all the answers, but I need to know the people that do know the answers.
