Since 2022, The Chicken Shack has been a popular eatery and tourist destination along the stretch of Route 66 that winds through the heart of Arcadia.
The Chicken Shack now shares a parking lot with its partner restaurant, The Pizza Shack, creating a one-of-a-kind culinary destination.
The two restaurants were born from the creative vision of three friends who grew up together in the suburbs of Iowa. Ed Gochenour, Bob Protexter and Troy Bohlke were childhood friends in Sioux City, and they have reunited to bring their unique talents to the table in Arcadia.
Ed is the founder and creative force behind the Chicken Shack. Situated among large shade trees, the restaurant offers a comfortable, backyard-style vibe. With ample outdoor and indoor seating, the Chicken Shack can comfortably accommodate large groups and is a popular choice for parties, celebrations and live music.
“The Shack was built for families. It is designed to be a place to gather together, and be a place where everyone is welcome. Our only requirement is you like chicken, but we even have options for those that don’t,” Ed said with a laugh.
The Chicken Shack is popular for its perfectly seasoned, crispy pressure-fried chicken, as well as chicken wings, pork chops, smoked meat and delectable side dishes.
For those who are new to the Shack, Ed recommends the Thursday Prime Rib special, or Saturday's Shrimp & Crab boil. Some of his favorite menu items are the broasted pork chop, the mini corn dog appetizer and mashed potatoes with chicken gravy.
“If I had to pick only one thing on the menu, I would pick our broasted chicken wings. The taste is just priceless,” he adds.
After experiencing success with the Chicken Shack, Ed wanted to bring a taste of home to the Sooner State. While thin crust tavern-style pizza is widely loved in the upper Midwest, it hadn’t yet become widespread in Oklahoma.
"The Pizza Shack serves the type of pizza that Bob, Troy and I grew up eating back when we were kids,” Ed says.
“It's fun to bring something that you loved as a kid for others to fall in love with it, too.”
A former 1920s gas station building sat on the edge of the Chicken Shack’s parking lot, and Ed saw it as the perfect location for a partner restaurant.
To create the perfect pizza, he called upon the expertise of his childhood friend, Bob. Bob was still living in Iowa, having worked in the baseball and pizza industries for more than 30 years. He started delivering pizzas for a local pizzeria, Jerry’s Pizza, in high school, and continued working there during the baseball offseason for the next three decades.
“Jerry’s Pizza is an institution in Sioux City. There just isn’t anything else like it,” Bob reminisces.
“I always valued being able to return to my job there, I just didn’t know that I was really going to pizza school for 34 years.”
Bob moved to Oklahoma at the end of May 2023, and the trio opened the doors to the Pizza Shack on July 1. Troy serves as the director of special projects for both restaurants.
“We brought this historic space back to life,” Bob recalls. “We went from zero to 60 in about 30 days. We built it from the ground up. Everything from the dough to the employees were specifically chosen.”
After many taste tests, he found the perfect dough, sauce, spices and cheese mix that would become the signature flavor of The Pizza Shack.
Pizzas feature a wide variety of toppings, including pepperoni, Canadian bacon, jalapenos, banana peppers, sauerkraut, spinach and green olives. Customers can build their own pizza, or enjoy “The Everything” pizza, which is loaded with three meats and four vegetables.
“We jokingly started calling our pizza ‘Iowa Stone Pizza’ as a throwback to our childhood, and the name just stuck,” Bob adds.
With the two restaurants in such close proximity, customers can enjoy food from both restaurants at either location. Staff members known as “Chicken Runners” move between the two locations, delivering hot and fresh food.
In its first year, The Pizza Shack was named as a Top 16 pizza restaurant by The Oklahoman.
Bob names the pepperoni, pineapple and mushroom pizza as his favorite, while Ed prefers Canadian bacon, sauerkraut and green olive. Bob also recommends the Savannah Sticks, a delectable cheese bread sprinkled with banana peppers. The popular appetizer is named in tribute to the Savannah Bananas baseball team, which visited the Chicken Shack last summer and proclaimed it one of their favorite spots to visit.
In addition to the Chicken Shack in Arcadia, Ed operates two other Chicken Shack locations in Mulhall and Harrah. He plans to open a fourth Chicken Shack on Western Avenue in Oklahoma City this October.
“When I started on this vision back in 2016, I had a 10-year plan to get ready for the 100-year anniversary of Route 66 in 2026, and I look back and see how far we have come. I am truly grateful for all of the folks that have come and those that keep coming back,” Ed concludes.
“So grab the family, call your friends and head down Route 66 to a great spot to enjoy each other.”
The Chicken Shack and The Pizza Shack are located at 212 E Hwy 66 in Arcadia. Follow them on social media at facebook.com/ChickenShackArcadia or instagram.com/pizzashackarcadiaoklahoma, Find more at ChickenShackRT66.com.
“The Shack was built for families. It is designed to be a place to gather together, and be a place where everyone is welcome."
"The Pizza Shack serves the type of pizza that Bob, Troy and I grew up eating back when we were kids,” Ed says.