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Brown's Chicken & Pasta facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Brown's Chicken
Private
Industry Restaurants Franchising
Founded 1949; 76 years ago (1949)
Headquarters Villa Park, Illinois, United States

Brown's Chicken & Pasta, often called Brown's Chicken, is a popular chain of fast food restaurants. They are famous for their delicious fried chicken. Most of their restaurants are located in the Chicago metropolitan area in the United States.

History of Brown's Chicken

How Brown's Chicken Started

The story of Brown's Chicken began in 1949. That year, John and Belva Brown opened their very first restaurant. It was located in Bridgeview, Illinois.

Growing the Restaurant Chain

During the 1970s, Brown's Chicken started to grow a lot. They opened many new restaurants across the United States. In the 1980s, they added pasta dishes to their menu. This is why "Pasta" was added to the company's name. By the 1990s, all Brown's restaurants also featured a traditional grill. This grill was known as "The Chicago Way."

Focusing on the Chicago Area

After 2005, Brown's Chicken decided to focus mainly on the Chicago metropolitan area. This means most of their restaurants are now found there. As of 2025, there are 22 Brown's Chicken restaurants. Frank Portillo, a former president of the company, is related to Dick Portillo. Dick Portillo founded The Portillo Restaurant Group, another well-known food business.

A Difficult Time for Brown's Chicken

The Palatine Incident

On January 8, 1993, a very sad event happened at a Brown's Chicken restaurant in Palatine, Illinois. This incident deeply affected the company. Seven people, including the restaurant owners and five employees, lost their lives.

Impact on the Business

This tragic event had a big impact on all Brown's Chicken restaurants. Sales dropped significantly across the entire chain. Because of this, about 100 Brown's Chicken restaurants in the Chicago area had to close down.

See also

  • List of fast-food chicken restaurants

External links

  • Official Website: http://www.brownschicken.com