Chris Pappas’ family is taking credit for inventing chicken tenders.
Not only is the New Hampshire Democrat the first openly gay man elected to the Senate, but his family says his grandfather invented the chicken tender.
The family opened the Puritan Backroom restaurant in Manchester, New Hampshire, back in 1917 when it sold candy and ice cream before becoming a full-service restaurant.
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Then came 1974, when their chicken tender was born — six years before Chris Pappas popped out of the oven.
Chris Pappas’ grandfather didn’t know what to do with leftover chicken, so he decided to fry them, Arthur Pappas, the senator-elect’s father, told The Washington Times. From there, it evolved, becoming a popular menu item, he added.
At the time, no one else was selling chicken strips made like that, he said. The restaurant wasn’t even advertising them.
Burger King’s original chicken tenders didn’t make their debut until 1985.
Chris Pappas is one of the co-owners of that restaurant, which has been in his family for four generations.
After graduating from college, he returned to Manchester to help run and co-own the family business alongside his father.
Working at the landmark restaurant and managing the family business shaped his background as a small-business owner before and during his career in public service and Congress.
Chris Pappas, a four-term House member, even has a congressional office where the restaurant’s old location used to be, his father said. When the building’s lease went up, Arthur Pappas said he told his son he had to sign it.
His father also said Chris Pappas’ mother, Dawn Pappas, warned him: “Don’t get involved with your father.” Arthur Pappas said the reason is that opening and running a restaurant is difficult.
Overall, his son’s service industry experience is set to help him in Washington, he said.
He described his son as a “hard worker” who “knows what it’s like to serve people.”
On Election Day, the family gathered to watch the results, in which Chris Pappas defeated former Republican Sen. John Sununu with over 56% of the vote.
He held his victory speech at the Puritan Backroom.
When asked about opening the restaurant the next day, Arthur Pappas said it was “fine because we’re all on cloud nine,” he said, laughing.
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