Chicken in the Rough

Last updated
Chicken in the Rough
Company type Restaurant chain and former franchise
Industry Fast casual restaurant
Founded1936;88 years ago (1936)
FoundersBeverly and Rubye Osborne
Products Fried chicken, shoestring potatoes, biscuits and honey
Website chickenintherough.com/index.htm

Chicken in the Rough, also known as Beverly's Chicken in the Rough, is a fried chicken restaurant chain and former franchise. [1] [2] It was one of the earliest restaurant chain franchises in the United States. [3] [4] [5] Chicken in the Rough was founded by Beverly and Rubye Osborne in 1936 in Oklahoma City, and the restaurant's specialty, half a fried chicken dish, was also created in 1936. [1] [5] [6] The dish itself was also referred to as "Chicken in the Rough", and consisted of half a fried chicken, shoestring potatoes and a biscuit with honey. [7] Three restaurants presently serve the dish today, located in Oklahoma City, Port Huron, Michigan and Canadian neighbor Sarnia, Ontario. [8] The chain's logo was an image of a rooster smoking a cigar and carrying a golf club. [5] [9] The chain also used a logo of "Chicken's Caddie", which depicted a chick acting as a golf caddie, stating "I'll gladly be fried for Chicken in the Rough".

Contents

History

The restaurant's name was devised on a cancelled 1936 road trip to California, in which Beverly spilled a picnic basket of chicken after Rubye hit a bump in the road while driving on the Oklahoma prairie. [5] [7] Rubye remarked something to the effect of "This is really chicken in the rough". [1] [5] [7] After this occurred, they turned around and headed back to Oklahoma City. [1] [7] Another notion is that the name was devised on a family picnic "where silverware had been forgotten", and that the consumption of the chicken without silverware constituted eating it "in the rough", using one's hands. [9] However, the official website of the chain states that the former occurred. [1]

Beverly's Pancake Corner in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, now called Beverly's Pancake House, has been described as the "home base" of Chicken in the Rough. Two additional restaurant locations presently serve the dish. [10] The half-chicken dish continued to be served at Beverly's Pancake House, where it's prepared according to its original recipe. [5] [11] The first standalone Chicken in the Rough restaurant was opened on U.S. Route 66 at 2429 North Lincoln in 1936, and was initially a small drive-in restaurant with nine stools and four booths. [5] The restaurant was significantly expanded to seat 1,100 people, and became a place that was visited by travelers, film stars and state executives. [5] Celebrities who were friends with the Osbornes and patrons of Beverly's Pancake Corner restaurants include Bob Hope and Gene Autry. [7] Beverly's Pancake House has a framed black-and-white photo on a wall showing Hope with a birthday cake that the restaurant made him one year. [7] In 1961, the building was demolished, and the state capitol complex was then constructed there. [5]

Key West, Florida, 1956 The Flame Restaurant - Chicken in the Rough - Key West FL 1956.jpg
Key West, Florida, 1956

Expansion

Chicken in the Rough was the first nationally franchised restaurant chain in the United States. [5] [12] In 1937, the chain had locations on Route 66 in the U.S. states of Arizona, Oklahoma, Missouri and Illinois. [5] In 1949, an extraordinary grill was designed that simultaneously fried and steamed chicken, after which time franchising began. [9] During its heyday, the chain had seven locations in Oklahoma City and nearly 300 franchise locations, including franchises in South Africa and Hawaii. [1] [5] [9] In the 1960s, after the franchise was sold to an investor group, 68 franchises remained. [9] In 1974 Osborne's partner, Randy Shaw, purchased the restaurant chain. [12]

Today

As of July, 2023, three restaurants continue to serve the dish: one restaurant in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, one in Port Huron, Michigan, and one in New Market, VA. [1] [10] The dish is presently prepared with a unique breading and preparation method, and cooked in a deep fryer. [7] Patrons of Beverly's Pancake Corner from the times of their youth continue to eat at the restaurant, which has included some who remember the first day it opened. [2] [7] When the Beverly's Pancake Corner location at Northwest Expressway and Pennsylvania in Oklahoma City, where it existed since 1956, was razed in 2008, people took pieces of concrete and bricks from the building as mementos. [7]

Patrons at Miller Grille at Shenvalee Golf Resort in New Market, VA were pleasantly surprised in July, 2023 that Chicken in the Rough was on the Menu. Especially because it was a well-loved franchise in New Market. Upon questioning the waitress, they were told that the restaurant had purchased the recipe a month prior. A knowledgeable patron was quoted as saying that "They even got the honey for the biscuits right."

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuisine of the Midwestern United States</span> Regional cuisine of the United States

The cuisine of the American Midwest draws its culinary roots most significantly from the cuisines of Central, Northern and Eastern Europe, and Indigenous cuisine of the Americas, and is influenced by regionally and locally grown foodstuffs and cultural diversity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamburger</span> Food consisting of a beef patty between rounded buns

A hamburger, also called a burger, is a dish consisting of fillings—usually a patty of ground meat, typically beef—placed inside a sliced bun or bread roll. The patties are often served with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, bacon or chilis with condiments such as ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, relish or a "special sauce", often a variation of Thousand Island dressing and are frequently placed on sesame seed buns. A hamburger patty topped with cheese is called a cheeseburger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swiss Chalet</span> Canadian casual dining restaurant chain

Swiss Chalet is a Canadian chain of casual dining restaurants founded in 1954 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Swiss Chalet has locations in most Canadian provinces, but about 80% are in Ontario and there are currently none in Quebec or British Columbia. Swiss Chalet is among the holdings of Recipe Unlimited, which also owns the fast food chain Harvey's. Swiss Chalet and Harvey's franchises share many locations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Krystal (restaurant)</span> Fast food burger chain in the Southeastern US

Krystal is an American regional fast food restaurant chain headquartered in Dunwoody, Georgia, with restaurants in the Southeastern United States and Puerto Rico. It is known for its small, square hamburgers, called sliders in places other than the Southeast, with steamed-in onions. Krystal moved its headquarters from Chattanooga, Tennessee, where it had been based since 1932, to the Atlanta suburb of Dunwoody in early 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church's Texas Chicken</span> American Chicken restaurant chain

Church's Texas Chicken is an American fast food restaurant chain that specializes in fried chicken and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The chain was founded as Church's Fried Chicken To-Go by George W. Church Sr. on April 17, 1952, in San Antonio, Texas, across the street from The Alamo. Church's Texas Chicken trades as Texas Chicken or Church's Chicken in many countries. The chain is currently owned by American private equity firm High Bluff Capital Partners. As of 2017, Church's Texas Chicken had more than 1,700 franchised and company-owned locations in 26 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harvey's</span> Canadian fast food hamburger restaurant chain

Harvey's is a fast food restaurant chain operating in Canada, with locations in every province except British Columbia. It serves hamburgers, poutine, hot dogs, french fries, onion rings, and other traditional Canadian fast-food fare. The chain is owned by Recipe Unlimited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicken and waffles</span> American dish

Chicken and waffles is an American dish combining chicken with waffles. It is part of a variety of culinary traditions, including Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine and soul food, and is served in certain specialty restaurants in the United States. Originating as a Pennsylvania Dutch meal, the dish has received notability in the Southern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Max's Restaurant</span> Philippine restaurant chain

Max's Restaurant, sometimes known as Max's of Manila or simply Max's, is a Philippine-based multinational restaurant chain which serves fried chicken and other Filipino dishes. It is owned and operated by the Max's Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack's</span> American fast-food restaurant chain

Jack's Family Restaurants, LP is an American fast food restaurant chain, headquartered and based in Birmingham. Restaurants feature sit-down dining, drive-thrus and takeout service. The menu features primarily burgers, fried chicken, breakfast and various other fast food items including french fries and soft drinks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Chick</span> American restaurant chain

Golden Chick, formerly known as Golden Fried Chicken, is a quick-service restaurant franchise headquartered in Richardson, Texas. Mark Parmerlee, head of Golden Tree Restaurants serves as the President and Chairman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IHOP</span> American restaurant chain

IHOP Restaurants LLC is an American multinational pancake house restaurant chain that specializes in American breakfast foods. It is owned by Dine Brands—a company formed after IHOP's purchase of Applebee's, with 99% of the restaurants run by independent franchisees.

The sixth season of the American reality television series The Next Food Network Star premiered on Sunday, June 6, 2010. Food Network executives, Bob Tuschman and Susie Fogelson, were joined again by Bobby Flay as the judges for this season. In addition, Giada De Laurentiis will serve as an on-set mentor. The series was filmed in Los Angeles, California and New York, New York. Winner Aarti Sequeira went on to host her show Aarti Party, which premiered on August 22, 2010. Runner-up Tom Pizzica was also hired to host a travel food show Outrageous Food, which began airing in November 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pancake house</span> Restaurant specializing in breakfast items

A pancake house, pancake and waffle house or waffle house is a restaurant that specializes in breakfast items such as pancakes, waffles, and omelettes, among other items. Many small, independent pancake houses, as well as large corporations and franchises, use the terminology in their establishment names, most notably the International House of Pancakes (IHOP), Waffle House and The Original Pancake House. Most pancake houses are dine-in, although most will offer carry-out as well. Many are open until around 3 a.m. Exceptions to this are large chains such as IHOP and Denny's, which are usually open 24 hours. Some independent pancake houses are found in strip malls, or exist as stand-alone structures that have been re-fitted, such as a closed-down diner or retail store.

Chicken George was a fast food restaurant chain based in Baltimore, Maryland. The first restaurant was established by Theodore Holmes in November 1979 in the Mondawmin Mall in Baltimore. The company later expanded to a total of six restaurants in Baltimore, and also branched out to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C. Franchise restaurants were also existent in Atlanta, Los Angeles and in other cities. In September 1991, the company filed for bankruptcy to be dissolved.

Slim Chickens is an American fast-casual restaurant chain which specializes in chicken tenders, wings, sandwiches, salads, wraps, chicken and waffles, and other items. It was founded in 2003 by Greg Smart and Tom Gordon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boomarang Diner</span>

Boomarang Diner is a full-service, 1950s-style American restaurant chain specializing in freshly made hamburgers, chicken fried steak, chicken and breakfast served all day. There are currently 54 Boomarang Diner locations, all of which are located in Oklahoma.

HNT Chicken is a Brazilian fast-food chain incorporated in 2014 by Dany Levkovits. Its first store located in Rio de Janeiro opened in 1995. The company has 39 chains across eight Brazilian states. The company began looking toward expansion in 2015 and opened its first United States expansion in Philadelphia in December 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ayam goreng kalasan</span> Indonesian traditional fried chicken

Ayam goreng Kalasan is an Indonesian dish consisting of fried chicken topped with kremesan, crisp bits of fried batter. The dish originates from the area surrounding the Kalasan Temple in Sleman, Yogyakarta, and has since spread nationwide, being considered a popular iteration of the ubiquitous ayam goreng.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave's Hot Chicken</span> Nashville-style fried chicken restaurant chain

Dave's Hot Chicken is an American fast casual restaurant chain specializing in Nashville-style hot chicken.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "History of the "meal that created food service and fried chicken franchising"". Chicken In The Rough. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  2. 1 2 Bacharach, Phil (2003). "Beverly's Pancake Corner" (PDF). Oklahoma Today . pp. 7–11. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  3. ↑ Koutsky, K.S.; Koutsky, L.; Ostman, E. (2003). Minnesota Eats Out: An Illustrated History. Minnesota Historical Society Press. p. 14. ISBN   978-0-87351-452-1. Chicken in the Rough was one of the earliest restaurant franchises
  4. ↑ Sonderman, J. (2014). Postcards from Route 66: The Ultimate Collection from America's Main Street. Voyageur Press. p. 129. ISBN   978-0-7603-4611-2. Beverly and Rubye Osborne were among the first to franchise fast food in the United States
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Clark, M.; Wallis, M. (2003). The Route 66 Cookbook: Comfort Food from the Mother Road. Council Oak Books. pp. 94–95. ISBN   978-1-57178-128-4.
  6. ↑ al, M.K.W. (16 October 2010). Greetings from Route 66. Voyageur Press. pp. 104–107. ISBN   978-1-61060-397-3.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Bailey, Brianna (July 25, 2014). "Locally developed delicacy, Chicken in the Rough, once sold at restaurants nationwide". The Oklahoman . Retrieved May 2, 2015. Page 2 of article.
  8. ↑ Hayden, Nicole. "Palms Krystal Bar changing ownership". Times Herald. Retrieved Aug 25, 2021.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Jakle, J.A.; Sculle, K.A. (2002). Fast Food: Roadside Restaurants in the Automobile Age. Road and American culture. Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 217–218. ISBN   978-0-8018-6920-4.
  10. 1 2 "Locations". Chicken in the Rough. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  11. ↑ "Beverly's Pancake Corner, their famed chicken in the rough". Oklahoma Gazette . April 28, 2015. Archived from the original on March 26, 2016.
  12. 1 2 Moore, Bob (April 29, 2015). "Keeping It Straight: Chicken in the Rough: Road Food Supreme". Kingman Daily Miner . Archived from the original on April 29, 2015. Retrieved April 29, 2015.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.