Roy Ritter

Roy Ritter was born in 1908 in the Wheeler Community in Washington County. He went to work selling surplus grapes from his family farm in Elm Springs and in 1939, he went to work for General Mills. Mr. Ritter owned or worked for several poultry businesses throughout the state, including hatcheries and feed companies, before starting his own chicken farm in Springdale called Arkansas Quality. He was also founder of one of Northwest Arkansas’ best known restaurants, the AQ Chicken House in Springdale. When the restaurant first opened, the Chicago Tribune ran a story on its opening and over the years people from all over the nation came to try the signature fried chicken. For many years, Mr. Ritter was active in promoting the Arkansas poultry industry to the nation and the world. He was the first president of the Arkansas Poultry Federation and was president of the Arkansas Turkey Federation, the National Turkey Federation and the National Broiler Council. He was selected “Man of the Year” by the Arkansas Poultry Industry in 1964 and the National Poultry Industries in 1965. Ritter was mayor of Springdale from 1975-1979 and was appointed to the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees in 1955, where he remained until 1974. He was described by a colleague as “irrepressible… always moving full-speed ahead…but he was just a delightful person.” At age 80, when most people would have long since retired, he earned his license and went into the real estate business.