Private company

Golden Chick

American restaurant chain

Golden Chick, formerly known as Golden Fried Chicken, is a quick-service fried chicken restaurant franchise headquartered in Richardson, Texas. Mark Parmerlee, head of Golden Tree Restaurants serves as the President and Chairman.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1967Founded1
Golden Chick in Wichita, Kansas
Photo: Staryu, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons4

Golden Chick, formerly known as Golden Fried Chicken, is a quick-service fried chicken restaurant franchise headquartered in Richardson, Texas. Mark Parmerlee, head of Golden Tree Restaurants serves as the President and Chairman.2

The story

The first restaurant was in 1967 in San Marcos, Texas, under the name Golden Fried Chicken. Franchising started in 1972. A decade later, the franchise grew to a number of restaurants primarily in Central Texas, with a focus on cities like Houston, Austin and San Antonio. Eventually it expanded outside to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, and then crossed the state line into Oklahoma. There are currently 211 restaurants operating in Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida. In 2022, Golden Chick was included in Nation's Restaurant News' Top 200 Restaurant Brands in the U.S. (#142). Focused on innovation and growth, Golden Chick recently completed its third modular constructed restaurant.

Since 1985, the chain's flagship menu item has been its chicken strips, trademarked as Golden Tenders. In 1996, Golden Fried Chicken abbreviated to its present name, Golden Chick. The family-oriented brand is the creator of the Original Golden Tenders® and the Big & Golden™ Chicken Sandwich, along with other chef-inspired menu items including its Golden Roast Chicken and Zagat-recognized Chicken Salad.

In 2017, Golden Chick celebrated its 50th anniversary, and sponsored Texas Country Reporter.

The parent company of Golden Chick, Golden Tree Restaurants, has other subsidiaries: Heff's Burgers, Jalapeño Tree, JC's Burger House, Texadelphia and Fireside Pies.

From Wikipedia’s article on Golden Chick, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3

Products and brands

  • fried chicken

Listed on Wikidata.1

Timeline

  1. 1967Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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