Made here, daily
Our meals are made fresh to order. We are not fast food... A few extra prep minutes for FRESH is worth the wait.
Family owned since 1963
Our Story
Six decades, one corner of South St. Paul, and a chicken recipe nobody’s touched.
A South St. Paul Tradition
The Coop opened on 3rd Avenue South in 1963, back when the stockyards still set the rhythm of the neighborhood. The building has changed a few times. The chicken hasn’t.
We still make your chicken to order, still make the coney sauce and barbecue sauce in house, and still flip burgers all day long. Our customers can tell we care.
Most of them have been coming for decades - the same families, now bringing their own kids in on a Friday night. Thats the part were proudest of.
What Hasn’t Changed
The same recipes
The 1963 recipes for our chicken, coney and ribs remain the same.
Neighbors first
We sponsor the teams, feed the fundraisers, and know most orders before they’re finished.
The Coop
Through The Years
Over 60 years of good food, good memories and a great community.
1963
The doors open
A small fried chicken counter opens on 3rd Avenue South, feeding stockyard workers and their families.
1960s
Regulars by name
The same faces start showing up every week. Most orders are memorized before anyone reaches the counter.
1970s–90s
Word gets around
The coney islands and the BBQ ribs are hot menu items. Lines out the door on Friday nights become normal.
Today
Still on the corner
Still family-owned, same corner, same recipes — now with online ordering and catering for the whole block.
From the The Coop Album
A few snapshots from six decades on the same corner.
