Church’s Chicken

In 1952George W. Church Sr., a retired incubator salesman, created the first Church’s Fried Chicken to Go in downtown San Antonio, Texas. It was a low-overhead operation that offered only take-out service, but Church’s was distinguished by its extra-large chickens.

At first, Church only sold fried chicken; french fries and jalapeños were added in 1955. It later added fried okra, coleslaw, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, and honey butter biscuits. When George Church died in 1956, four outlets were open. Family members took over the operation, and by 1962, the chain had grown to eight locations in San Antonio. The company began to expand beyond San Antonio. The Church family sold the company in 1968, and the following year, Church’s Fried Chicken, Inc., became a publicly held company. At the end of 1969, over one hundred Church’s restaurants were in operation in seven states. Between 1969 and 1974, Church’s grew by an additional 387 restaurants. International expansion began in 1979 with the announcement of the first Church’s in Japan, and the company subsequently established locations in countries under the brand name Texas Chicken.