Chicken Ed was a Dewey Beach giant

For four decades, most of Dewey Beach’s existence, Ed Riggin was part of the fabric of the town. Riggin, who owned Ed’s Chicken and Crabs on Coastal Highway, died last week at the age of 92.

Riggin opened at the corner of Swedes Street and Coastal Highway in 1978. The business operated until 2016, but permanently closed after a drunk driver crashed into restaurant at a high rate of speed in the early morning hours and set the building ablaze. Shortly after the fire, the community gathered at The Starboard to show love and appreciation for everything Riggin had contributed to Dewey Beach over many decades. 

The Ed’s Chicken and Crabs site was eventually cleared. It sat vacant for a few years until Nick's Dewey Dino Golf opened in 2020.