Don’t cook tonight, call Chicken Delight
The current Chicken Delight operation is a descendant of a much larger chain. Founded in Illinois in 1952, the chain grew during the 1960s to over 1,000 locations. It was purchased in 1964 by Consolidated Foods. The jingle “Don’t cook tonight, call Chicken Delight,” emphasizing their delivery and take-out services, was widely advertised on American radio and television during the 1960s. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the chain’s mascot was a chicken with a chef’s hat, holding a plate of biscuits.
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Specialties
Chicken Delight specializes in a variety of chicken-based offerings, including wings, buffalo wings, chicken fingers, and burgers. Additionally, the menu features pizza, popcorn shrimp, ribs, and an array of side dishes such as french fries, onion rings, poutine (predominantly in Canadian locations), potato salad, macaroni salad, and coleslaw. The dessert selection is limited to cheesecake.
The chain offers Pizza and Chicken combos, as well as individual and family dinners. Individual dinners include fries, coleslaw, and a bread roll, while the family dinner includes the same sides with the addition of gravy. These combos contain a pie along with 6-15 pieces of chicken, accompanied by fries and gravy as the side options.
Chicken Delight: Legal Problems
Upon its founding, Chicken Delight faced differing revenue collection methods among franchisers. While the current norm involves collecting a percentage (4% to 8%) of gross sales, an alternative approach required franchisees to purchase equipment and packaging exclusively from the franchisor. In this model, additional charges for items like paper cups and plates generated revenue for the franchisor’s corporate operations, advertising, and profit.
Controversy arose, with some franchisees and legal representatives arguing that this practice violated the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, prohibiting the sale of products above fair market value. In the 1960s, a lawsuit on behalf of 94 franchisees resulted in a landmark 1971 ruling by the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, breaking the franchise contracts for all stores and awarding damages to the plaintiffs (Siegel v. Chicken Delight, 448 F.2d 43).
However, this legal triumph proved to be a Pyrrhic victory as Consolidated Foods (now Sara Lee Corporation), the owner at the time, abandoned the US business, leaving former franchisees to operate independently. Today, some former US stores continue to operate under names reminiscent of the original, such as “Chicken Tonight.”
Chicken Delight: Still Cluckin’ Today
Chicken Delight still has locations open in Canada. If you are interested, click the map below to see them:
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