Pioneer Chicken facts for kids
| Industry | Restaurant |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1961 |
| Defunct | Open in Los Angeles at 904 S. Soto Street, Los Angeles CA 90023 and in Bell Gardens at 6323 E. Florence Avenue, Bell Gardens, CA 90201 |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles County, California, U.S. |
| Products | Fried chicken |
Pioneer Chicken is a well-known American restaurant chain that serves delicious fried chicken. It was started in 1961 by H. R. Kaufman in Echo Park, Los Angeles. At its busiest, in 1987, there were 270 Pioneer Chicken restaurants across the country.
Today, only two Pioneer Chicken locations are still open. You can find them in the Boyle Heights area of Los Angeles and in Bell Gardens, California. These two restaurants are now run independently.
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How Pioneer Chicken Started
Pioneer Chicken got its name from Pioneer Market. This was a chain of grocery stores in Los Angeles that no longer exist. The very first Pioneer Chicken restaurant was right next to a Pioneer Market in Echo Park.
In the 1980s, famous people helped advertise the restaurant. These included Los Angeles Lakers announcer Chick Hearn and former football player O. J. Simpson.
People often remember Pioneer Chicken for its bright orange fried chicken. They also offered unique menu items like gizzards and livers as appetizers. The company even had a fun mascot named Pioneer Pete. He was the main character in comic books given with kid's meals.
Challenges and Changes
In 1988, the company faced some tough times. The founder, H. R. Kaufman, had to file for a type of business protection called Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This happened because the company faced strong competition from other fried chicken chains, like Kentucky Fried Chicken. At this point, Pioneer Chicken still had 270 stores and 220 owners.
New Ownership for Pioneer Chicken
In 1993, a company called Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits (which is part of AFC Enterprises) bought Pioneer Chicken. After this, many Pioneer Chicken restaurants were changed into Popeyes locations.
Where You Can Find Pioneer Chicken Today
Even though many locations changed, two Pioneer Chicken restaurants are still open in the Los Angeles area:
- 904 S. Soto Street, Los Angeles
- 6323 E. Florence Avenue, Bell Gardens
Pioneer Chicken in Indonesia
In 1983, three students from the University of Southern California decided to open a Pioneer Chicken restaurant in Jakarta, Indonesia. They called their new chain California Fried Chicken.
By 2013, the company that runs these stores in Indonesia, Pioneerindo Gourmet International, had more than 200 CFC restaurants. They are spread all over Indonesia. For a short time in the 1990s, CFC also had a few restaurants in Shanghai, China.
