Maryland Fried Chicken

Last updated
Maryland Fried Chicken
Industry Restaurants
Genre Fast food restaurant
FoundedJuly 14, 1961;62 years ago (1961-07-14)
Orlando, Florida, U.S.
FounderAl Constantine
DefunctDecember 5, 1979 (1979-12-05)
FateDissolved
Successor
  • The Shrimper Seafood & Maryland Fried Chicken (South Carolina, 1976-present)
  • Mr. C's Southern Fried Chicken (Florida, 1979-1988)
  • The Original Maryland Fried Chicken (Georgia; 1997-present)
  • Original Maryland Fried Chicken (Florida, 2005-present)
Headquarters
Number of locations
  • 160 (1971) [1]
  • 30 (2023)
Area served
Key people
  • Al Constantine
  • Angelo Costantine
  • Richard Costantine
  • J. R. Miller
Products
Parent First Macon Corp. (1967-1970)

Maryland Fried Chicken is a group of independently owned restaurants and former corporate chain of franchised fried chicken take-out restaurants that originated in Orlando, Florida. It was founded by Al Constantine in 1961 and grew to cover some 20 U.S. states and the Bahamas at its peak before ultimately going bankrupt in the late 1970s and dissolving as a chain. [2] [3] [4]

Contents

Nomenclature

The name "Maryland Fried Chicken" was chosen due to the then-recent opening of a Glenn L. Martin Co. manufacturing plant in Orlando. [5] Martin had previously built an aircraft manufacturing facility near Baltimore, Maryland that at one time was the largest such facility in the world. [6] A number of Baltimore natives came with the company to its new Orlando facility and frequented Constantine's Restaurant; thus, the "Maryland" name was devised to appeal to these customers. This is despite the fact that Al Constantine's recipe was dissimilar to traditional Chicken Maryland, that he originally hailed from Delaware, and that the chain was founded in Florida. [7]

History

Background and early history

Al Constantine, a 2nd generation immigrant from Italy, originally lived in Wilmington, Delaware, where he and his family operated "The Dinner Bell" restaurant that his father had founded. [3] Gradually, the Constantine family moved to Orlando, Florida and opened a new 24-hour diner called Constantine's Restaurant in 1959. [2] In 1960, members of the family noticed the popularity of an early Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise in Florida and set out to compete with them. [3] Al Constantine experimented with fried chicken recipes and settled on a blend of 21 herbs and spices for the breading mix, while cooking the chicken in pure peanut oil using a pressure fryer. [7] After handing out free samples for some time to gauge customer reactions, Al's "Maryland Fried Chicken" was added to the menu at Constantine's Restaurant and a 35-foot sign advertising the new product was erected outside the diner. [2] [3]

The first restaurant to operate solely under the name Maryland Fried Chicken opened in Fern Park, Florida as a joint venture between Al Constantine and a business partner, W. H. Truesdell. This new restaurant opened on October 4, 1961, and featured a limited menu in contrast to the wider offerings of Constantine's Restaurant. [8] Additional MFC locations opened thereafter under franchise agreements.

First incorporation

Maryland Fried Chicken was incorporated in the state of Florida on Feb. 15th, 1963. [2] Al Constantine acted as president of the corporation; his brother Richard was treasurer; his brother Angelo "Angel" was vice president; and their parents served as directors. [9] The chain grew to 55 units by October 1967, all in the state of Florida. [10] Al Constantine was actively pursuing avenues of expansion to other states as well as internationally; he had conducted an "extensive market feasibility study" in multiple Western European nations and MFC, Inc. was working with prospective franchisees in the states of Georgia and Alabama. [9] [11]

Maryland Fried Chicken of America

Maryland Fried Chicken, Inc. was approached by Georgia businessman J. R. Miller in 1967 with an offer of $100,000 to become the national franchising agent for MFC. With this deal, a new company called Maryland Fried Chicken of America, Inc. was established as a subsidiary of Miller's own business, First Macon Corporation. MFC of America would spearhead the restaurant chain's nationwide expansion program, while Al Constantine's Maryland Fried Chicken, Inc. would continue to operate independently and manage the extant restaurants in Florida. MFC of America made a "firm commitment" upon signing the deal to open a minimum of 500 outlets nationally within five years. [10]

The first franchises to open under Maryland Fried Chicken of America were operational in Georgia, Alabama, and Michigan by the end of 1967. [12] Over the following two years, MFC of America established a national headquarters in Macon, Georgia, complete with a franchise training college, and negotiated hundreds of franchise agreements across a dozen U.S. states. [13] In 1969, Maryland Fried Chicken claimed to be the third-largest and fastest-growing fried chicken take-out chain in the United States. [13]

Second Incorporation and Downfall

By late 1969, Florida-based Maryland Fried Chicken, Inc. and Georgia-based Maryland Fried Chicken of America, Inc. were in talks to merge. At the time, MFC, Inc. operated 67 units in Florida and Louisiana and MFC of America operated 49 units across many states; the combined company would have 116 locations across 16 states with 134 additional franchises pending construction. [14] First Macon Corp. would pay $1.3 million and own 40% of the combined company. [14] Al Constantine and J. R. Miller jointly announced that the merger had been completed on Feb. 23rd, 1970, and the resulting company was a Delaware-based firm called Maryland Fried Chicken, Inc. that maintained executive offices in Macon, GA. [4] Al Constantine remained president of the firm, while his brother, Angelo, and mother, Rose, each became a vice president, and J. R. Miller became chairman. [4]

Following the merger, Maryland Fried Chicken began offering franchises in new regions including New England. [15] By early 1971, the chain boasted 160 locations. [1] [16] However, Al Constantine stepped down as president of the company in 1971 as financial problems forced dozens of store closures; by late 1972, only 102 stores remained, though the new president of MFC, Alan Parker, claimed then that the business had returned to profitability. [16] [17] Nevertheless, as the 1970s Recession was ongoing, MFC, Inc. suffered a number of legal defeats stemming from unpaid loans, and ultimately the company dissolved in 1979 following a bankruptcy filing. [2]

Successor Entities

Following the dissolution of MFC, Inc., the remaining franchises began to operate independently. [18] In addition to the remaining MFC-branded franchises, a few distinct successor businesses emerged:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roy Rogers Restaurants</span> American fast food restaurant chain

Roy Rogers Franchise Company, LLC is a chain of fast food restaurants primarily located in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States. The chain originated as the rebranding of the RoBee's House of Beef chain of Fort Wayne, Indiana, acquired by the Marriott Corporation in February 1968. However, Marriott first used the Roy Rogers Roast Beef name on conversions of the company's Junior Hot Shoppes in the Washington, D.C. area in April 1968, then the existing RoBee's stores. An aggressive nationwide franchising campaign was launched. At its peak, the chain included over 600 locations. The chain now has 37 locations in six states, either company owned or franchised.

<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">Popeyes</span> American multinational chain of fried chicken fast food restaurants

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Inc., also known as Popeyes and formerly named Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits and Popeyes Famous Fried Chicken & Biscuits, is an American multinational chain of fried chicken restaurants formed in 1972 in New Orleans, Louisiana and headquartered in Miami. It is currently a subsidiary of Toronto-based Restaurant Brands International. As of 2021, Popeyes has 3,705 restaurants, which are located in more than 46 states and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 30 countries worldwide. About 50 locations are company-owned; the vast remainder are franchised.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Lobster</span> American casual dining restaurant chain

Red Lobster Hospitality, LLC is an American casual dining restaurant chain headquartered in Orlando, Florida. The company has operations across most of the United States and Canada, as well as in China, Ecuador, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates; as of June 23, 2020, the company had 719 locations worldwide. Golden Gate Capital became Red Lobster's parent company when it was acquired from Darden Restaurants on July 28, 2014. Seafood supplier Thai Union acquired a 25 percent stake in the company in 2016 for a reported $575 million, and in 2020 purchased the remaining portion from GGC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Captain D's</span> U.S.-based restaurant chain

Captain Ds, LLC. is an American fast casual restaurant chain that specializes in seafood and is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. The chain was founded as Mr. D's Seafood and Hamburgers by Raymond L. Danner Sr. on August 15, 1969, in Donelson, Tennessee. The chain is currently owned by private-equity firm Centre Partners. Captain D's has more than 500 locations in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bojangles (restaurant)</span> American regional fast food chain

Bojangles OpCo, LLC., doing business as Bojangles, is an American regional chain of fast food restaurants that specializes in Cajun-seasoned fried chicken and buttermilk biscuits and primarily serves the Southeastern United States. The company was founded in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1977 by Jack Fulk and Richard Thomas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shoney's</span> Casual dining restaurant in the southeast USA

Shoney's is an American restaurant chain headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. As of April 2024, the company operates 58 locations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pollo Tropical</span> Restaurant chain

Pollo Tropical is a South Florida-based restaurant chain and franchise specializing in food inspired by Latin-Caribbean cuisine. Founded in 1988, the chain has its headquarters in Doral, Florida, It is best known for marinated and grilled chicken and various sides including black beans and rice, mojo roast pork and more.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenny Rogers Roasters</span> Chicken-based restaurant chain

Kenny Rogers Roasters is a chain of chicken-based restaurants founded in 1991 by country musician Kenny Rogers and former KFC CEO John Y. Brown Jr., who was a former governor of the U.S. state of Kentucky. Brown had been an early investor in Kentucky Fried Chicken from 1964 to 1971. During his successful music career, Rogers had appeared in several commercials for the Dole Food Company before founding this restaurant chain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Roma's</span> American casual dining chain restaurant

Romacorp Inc., which does business as Tony Roma's, is an American casual dining chain restaurant specializing in baby back ribs. The first location was established by the founder, Tony Roma, in 1972 in North Miami, Florida. Clint Murchison Jr. purchased a majority stake in the restaurant in 1976, and he and Roma established the jointly owned Roma Corporation. The first international location opened in 1979 in Tokyo, followed by an international expansion with both company-owned stores and franchises. As of 2020, there are over 115 locations on six continents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken</span> American casual dining franchise

Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken is a quick service restaurant franchise founded in 1966 specializing in chicken, homestyle sides, and biscuits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Skillet</span> Fast-food chain

Golden Skillet is a fast-food chain that mainly sells fried chicken originating in Richmond, Virginia. The first Golden Skillet chicken was sold in 1963 at the downtown Richmond department store Thalhimer's. The fried chicken recipe was created by Clifton W. Guthrie, the original owner and founder of Golden Skillet.

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

Mary Brown's Chicken, also known as Mary Brown's, is a Canadian fast food restaurant with approximately 200 locations across Canada. The chain specializes in fried chicken or fried plant-based chicken vegan dinners.

<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">Mrs. Winner's Chicken & Biscuits</span> American regional fast food chain

Mrs. Winner's Chicken and Biscuits is a regional fast food restaurant in the U.S. Southeast which specializes in fried chicken. Mrs. Winner's is mostly known for their fried chicken and given away biscuits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frenchy's Chicken</span> Restaurant chain in Houston, Texas, United States

Frenchy's Chicken is a restaurant chain in Houston, Texas, selling Louisiana Creole cuisine. It was established in 1969 by Percy "Frenchy" Creuzot Jr.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Pollo Loco (United States)</span> Restaurant chain

El Pollo Loco, Inc., is a restaurant chain based in the United States, specializing in Mexican-style grilled chicken. Restaurant service consists of: dine-in and take-out, with some locations offering drive-through options. The company is headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, and operates about 500 company-owned and franchised restaurants in the Southwestern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chick'nCone</span> Fast-food chain based in Pennsylvania

Chick'nCone is a Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania-based fast food chain, founded and owned by Jonathan Almanzar and Josh Lanier, specializing in a portable version of chicken and waffles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hartz Chicken</span> Fast food chain

Hartz Chicken is an American fast food restaurant chain specializing in fried chicken. The company supplies more than 60 locations in Texas, mostly around the Houston metropolitan area, and Malaysia, as well as one restaurant in Shreveport, LA.

References

    1. 1 2 "Business Opportunities". Hartford Courant. 1971-02-10. p. 44.
    2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "C.F.M. Distributing Company, Inc. v. Theresa Costantine, as Personal Representative of the Estate of Richard Costantine | Original Maryland Fried Chicken, LLC v. Theresa Costantine, as Personal Representative of the Estate of Richard Costantine, No. 91187378". casetext.com. Retrieved 2023-01-26.
    3. 1 2 3 4 Malone, Tom (1970-08-28). "The Visitor". The Morning News. p. 17.
    4. 1 2 3 "Franchise Merger Completed". The Macon News. 1970-02-23. p. 5.
    5. ↑ "Glenn L. Martin Company Plant Construction". University of Central Florida. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
    6. ↑ "Glenn L. Martin Company and the Middle River Community". The Glenn L. Martin Maryland Aviation Museum. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
    7. 1 2 Davis, Natalie (2001-05-23). "Bird Is The Word". City Paper Online. Archived from the original on 2005-02-21. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
    8. ↑ "Attend the Grand Opening!". The Orlando Sentinel. 1961-10-03. p. 28.
    9. 1 2 Whitton, Rex M. (1967-02-05). "Constantine Chicken Clicks". The Orlando Sentinel. p. 31.
    10. 1 2 Conklin, Rhodes (1967-10-18). "Maryland Fried Chicken Expands". Orlando Evening Star. p. 25.
    11. ↑ "Local Firm Plans Overseas Operations". The Orlando Sentinel. 1967-01-09. p. 6.
    12. ↑ "we proudly announce". The Macon News. 1967-12-10. p. 8.
    13. 1 2 "Maryland Moves to Georgia". The Macon News. 1969-02-23. p. 73.
    14. 1 2 "Maryland Fried Chicken to Merge". The Orlando Sentinel. 1969-12-05. p. 63.
    15. ↑ "Maryland Fried Chicken Goes North". Hartford Courant. 1970-05-31. p. 57.
    16. 1 2 3 "Maryland fried chicken man starts Mr.C's". The Orlando Sentinel. 1979-03-21. p. 129.
    17. ↑ Trawick, Gertrude (1972-12-19). "MFC and S&H In Test Project". The Macon News. p. 3.
    18. ↑ Bowers, Harley (1980-05-18). "Sapp's Roost". The Macon News. p. 13.
    19. ↑ "You're Invited To Our Grand Opening". Florence Morning News. 1976-07-20. p. 3.
    20. ↑ "'Most wanted' suspect is indicted in Sanford death". The Orlando Sentinel. 1993-01-21. p. 145.
    21. ↑ "ORIGINAL MARYLAND FRIED CHICKEN LLC". opencorporates.com. Retrieved 2023-01-26.
    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.