home of "fried chicken licken"

Chicken Licken

Opening its first restaurant in Ridgeway, South Africa in 1981, the self-acclaimed ‘Soul Food’ chain has restaurants across the country and also in Botswana. Serving fried chicken meals, a 2007 Sunday Times Markinor Best Brands survey cited Chicken Licken as the second largest fast food brand in South Africa behind rivals KFC.(review)

Chicken Licken

Established in 1981, Chicken Licken's ‘Soul Food’ chain is the second largest fast food brand in South Africa behind KFC.(PILLAY)

Stats: There are 247 outlets in South Africa and according to the Wall Street Journal, the food chain holds a 5% market share of South Africa's fast food market, tying with McDonalds. The journal also reports that Chicken Licken is the largest non-American-owned fried chicken franchise in the world.(PILLAY)

Chicken Licken: George Sombonos

With the goal of establishing the largest, homegrown fried chicken franchise in South Africa, Chicken Licken is fast catching up to its competitors, and having fun all the way.(Boucher)

Daring to go where no one else would, poking fun at its competitors, taking risks with new products and continuously innovating. This is what has made Chicken Licken the force it is today. But it’s no time to sit back and let the business run itself, as the franchise’s founder explains. There is still much work to be done.(Boucher)

In 1972, his father bought him an airline ticket to the US on condition he went to see his aunt in Greece on his way home. This trip was the catalyst for George’s dream. It set him on the road to developing the number-one, SA homegrown, quick-service restaurant business and the largest fried chicken franchise outside of the United States. (O'Brien)

“I went on the trip to America with mad enthusiasm,” says Sombonos. “I would buy trade journals to learn about the restaurant business, taste 12 hamburgers and 20 pieces of chicken every day until one day, in Texas, I tasted the best chicken ever. I invited the owner of the chicken outlet out for dinner that evening and asked him for the recipe. It took a lot of convincing, but the next morning he agreed to sell it to me for US$5 000. I didn’t have that kind of money and eventually I paid him my last $1 000 in traveller’s cheques for something I hadn’t even tested. It was a huge leap of faith. He could have sold me a salt and pepper mix.” (O'Brien)

 

compiled by: Thotloetso Maselwanyana

bibliography

PILLAY, CADINE. 'Sme Southafrica'. http://www.smesouthafrica.co.za. N.p., 2014. Web. 14 Oct. 2015.

review, africanbusiness. 'Africa's Successful Restaurant Chains'. africanbusinessreview. N.p., 2015. Web. 14 Oct. 2015.

O'Brien, Tracy. 'Leader'. http://www.leader.co.za/. N.p., 2010. Web. 14 Oct. 2015.

nathan,. 'Modernist Cuisine'. http://modernistcuisine.com/. N.p., 2013. Print.

Boucher, Chana. 'Entrepreneur Mag'. www.entrepreneurmag.co.za. N.p., 2012. Web. 14 Oct. 2015.