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Chicken joints have always been a dime a dozen.. The issue, in my book, is the prices for chicken now. 8 Piece bucket with sides at KFC is over $20 now. 5 tenders at Zaxby's is pushing $10. Some have said that the proliferation of the popularity of wings is to blame for the price increases.
Does anyone remember back in the late 70's an explosion of "Honey Chicken" restaurants? I was reading up on them the other day.. I had never heard of it.. Apparently somewhere down around Columbia is the last "Yogi Bear's Honey Chicken" restaurant in the US.. Another place i'd never heard of.
Of course, there was the Minnie Pearl's chicken fiasco..
The last remaining Yogi Bear Honey Fried Chicken is in Hartsville, SC. Began in Myrtle Beach and expanded across the Carolinas including Charlotte. Not sure if they ever made it to the Upstate. Eventually bought out by Hardee's, and as is typical of Hardee's buyouts, declined shortly thereafter. Hardee's has significantly degraded or destroyed all other chains it has acquired. Most notable are Burger Chef and Roy Rogers. Fortunately Roy Rogers has made a comeback, but the long lamented Burger Chef is now gone.
While on the subject of chicken places, I still miss the Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken from Spartanburg. Founded by KFC Col. Sanders' cousin Lee Cummings, it was later owned by Shoney's. I believe there is one SC location remaining in Rock Hill.
And I remember Minnie Pearl's Fried Chicken in the Charlotte area, but they have been gone for a long time. Much more successful in Charlotte was Holly Farms Fried Chicken. Did they ever have locations in the Upstate? They were very good back in the day.
I think we all said that Pleasantburg location was horrible from the start. Not only the fact of where it was, but how close to the existing location it was.
The other end of Pelham, Cherrydale, even Woodruff Rd would have been better.. and saying anything would have been better on Woodruff Rd is like praising the anti-Christ.
I haven't found any franchise info on Golden Chick, but.. I will say that I've watched their store counts.. And it seems to hold pretty consistently in the 170 to 200 store range. They've opened 12 in the past year, which has been a slow year for them, and I guarantee 12 have closed in the past year.
They've had locations in Manning and Columbia close as well, and of course the Greenwood location we've discussed before.
Not only here, but locations in Texas have been closing.
This feels a little like another chain that I've had some dealings with.. Boneheads Grill. They came up with the concept and told franchisee's how they'd help them and all kinds of things.. And I know of about 14 of them that opened, several in Atlanta of which the Perimeter made the longest go at it.. There's 1 left down in Pensacola. They opened in weird places. Bentonville, AR.. Somewhere in Mississippi.. Oxford, I believe it was. They brought people with no restaurant experience in as franchisees.. Always a bad idea.
Don't know that Golden Chick is doing the same, but.. There's enough smoke to wonder if there's some fire there.
The Easley Golden Chick has between 0-1 cars in the lot, no matter when I drive by. The drive thru might have one customer. I don't know what the problem is... other than over saturation of chicken places or that when you first taste GC's chicken, it's not KFC and it's not Popeye's. I liked it after I tried it a time or two....but I notice I will choose something else to eat before I choose Golden Chick.
While on the subject of chicken places, I still miss the Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken from Spartanburg. Founded by KFC Col. Sanders' cousin Lee Cummings, it was later owned by Shoney's. I believe there is one SC location remaining in Rock Hill.
And I remember Minnie Pearl's Fried Chicken in the Charlotte area, but they have been gone for a long time. Much more successful in Charlotte was Holly Farms Fried Chicken. Did they ever have locations in the Upstate? They were very good back in the day.
I show 3 Holly Farms in Greenville
2121 Augusta Rd.. Think this would be around where the old Schlotzky's was in the 90's.
Cedar Lane Shopping Center/Cedar Lane Village
W Butler & 276 in Mauldin.. Perhaps where Walgreens or Family Dollar or even Spinx is now?
As well as one in Easley off 123 in Town and Country Plaza
A long time ago there was a fantastic Thai place next to the movie theater in Easley. Then they dumbed it down for the local yokels and it went out of business. That was a shame.
The Easley Golden Chick has between 0-1 cars in the lot, no matter when I drive by. The drive thru might have one customer. I don't know what the problem is... other than over saturation of chicken places or that when you first taste GC's chicken, it's not KFC and it's not Popeye's. I liked it after I tried it a time or two....but I notice I will choose something else to eat before I choose Golden Chick.
It is in a pretty craptastic location - no visibility from 123. That combined with so many existing fried chicken choices is probably most of the problem. For me they have to beat out Publix and Ingles fried chicken, which are both pretty good.
It is in a pretty craptastic location - no visibility from 123. That combined with so many existing fried chicken choices is probably most of the problem. For me they have to beat out Publix and Ingles fried chicken, which are both pretty good.
When I first moved to Easley, I did a chicken comparison. I tried Publix and Bojangle's. I thought Publix had the tastiest chicken! I have never tried Ingle's. But now that you said that, next time I will grab a piece and see.
I tried Golden Chick once at the closed Pelham Rd location. I thought is was overpriced and really average at best. I think a lot of people had a similar first impression and never went back. That's my Golden Chick story.
They appear to have arrived in late 1977 and were gone in late 1981. December 7, 1981 is the last mention of them I can find.
Bet the W Butler location is where Little Pigs was before moving and where the current quick-lube place is.
Yes if you google images of Holly Farms chicken restaurants they look identical to the old Little Pigs building in Mauldin that was razed for the Take 5 quick lube.
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I have never tried Ingle's. But now that you said that, next time I will grab a piece and see. 
