Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken
Encyclopedia
Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken is a casual dining franchise
founded in 1966 specializing in chicken, homestyle sides, and biscuits. There are currently 142 Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken locations in 14 states across America
. The majority of Lee’s stores are in the Midwest and southern states, but Lee’s also has international locations in Canada
and Jordan
, with more stores scheduled to open in Jordan by the end of 2010. Headquarters are located in Walton Beach, Florida.
), spent much of his childhood in the kitchen of his Henryville, Indiana
home. Lee hit the road with his uncle Harland in 1952, selling their own special blend of spices along with their famous pressure cookers, which later became part of KFC's "Secret Recipe". In three years, Lee and the Colonel opened over 800 KFC stores.
After the sale of KFC in 1962, Lee Cummings started developing his recipe, later to be known as "Famous Recipe." In 1966, Lee along with Harold Omer started "Harold's Take-Home" in Lima, Ohio
where Lee first introduced his Famous Recipe Chicken. The word spread about this great new recipe and later that year the first franchise unit was opened in Columbus, Ohio
.
By 1967, the fifth franchise unit was opened in Springfield, Ohio
. Later that year, units followed in Dayton, Ohio
and Cincinnati, Ohio
, as well as Kalamazoo, Michigan
.
In 1970, Lee's Famous Recipe went international with the opening of three units in Trinidad
and by 1972 there were more than 100 units in the thriving chain. By 1979, the number of units had doubled to 200 and in 1981 Lee sold the chain to Shoney's
Restaurants in Nashville, Tennessee
. Shoney's continued to operate Lee's along with their own Captain D's
and Shoney's Restaurants until 1995, when Lee's was sold to RTM Restaurant Group in Atlanta, Georgia
.
In May 2003, the chain had 29 company owned locations and 125 franchised locations. In October 2003, Lee's Famous Recipe Inc., owned by Jeff Miller, a former Denny's operator, bought Lee's Chicken from RTM. Additional, RTM sold 13 corporate Lee's units to former franchise operations vice president Emmett Gemash.
On June 24, 2011, Lee's Famous Recipes, Inc. filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Georgia, where the Chapter 11 case of Mrs. Winner's is pending. The Chapter 11 case number is 11-68463.
The Famous Recipe Chicken is the hallmark of the Lee’s brand
. It gets its flavor from Famous Recipe spices and is hand breaded, honey
dipped, and pressure cooked to seal in the famous flavor. Chicken is prepared three ways: Famous Recipe, a more flavorful Crispy + Spicy variety, and the more tender Oven Roast.
In addition to the three major chicken varieties, Lee’s also serves Jumbo Breast Strips
and Jumbo Boneless Wings. The Jumbo Breast Strips are big, all-white-meat breast strips that are prepared the same way as their Famous Recipe Chicken. They are served with a dipping sauce. The Jumbo Boneless Wings are chunks of all-white-meat chicken breasts marinated in a spicy blend of seasonings, then they are double breaded and pressure cooked.
Aside from the traditional chicken offerings, Lee’s also serves chicken sandwich
es, chicken fried steak
, chicken pot pie and livers & gizzards.
The sandwich offered at Lee's Famous Recipe is the Jumbo mini which is a breast strip dipped in your choice of sauce and served with a wheat bun, Honey Barbeque chicken is pulled chicken on a bun, Jumbo breast strip sandwich includes two jumbo breast strips served with lettuce on a bun, and a country fried steak sandwich served with one steak and dipped in gravy.
Country sides include Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Baked Beans, Coleslaw, Corn on-the-cob, Country Rice, Red beans and Rice, Potato salad, Macaroni and Cheese, Potato wedges, Hot apples, Jalapeño pepper, Broccoli Pasta salad and buttermilk biscuits.
Sides are available in Large (1 pint) or Individual sizes (6oz.).
Biscuits are available individually or by the ½ dozen.
Chicken is served as a meal with sides and a biscuit or a snack with just chicken and a biscuit.
Liver and Gizzards are served in a half pint cup, or a pint cup.
Small meals are available with one, two, or three pieces of mixed chicken, two individual sides and a biscuit. Liver and Gizzard meals are served as a half-pint with two individual sides and a biscuit.
Large Meals include an eight pieces with two large sides, and four biscuits, a twelve piece with three large sides and six biscuits, a sixteen piece with four large sides and eight biscuits, and a twenty piece with five large sides and ten biscuits. A twelve piece strip meal with two large sides and four biscuits. Catering is also available at participating locations.
Eight through twenty pieces of chicken can also be sold as a box which includes just the chicken alone.
Pepsi products are served along with sweet or unsweetened ice tea brewed fresh daily.
Franchising
Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....
founded in 1966 specializing in chicken, homestyle sides, and biscuits. There are currently 142 Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken locations in 14 states across America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The majority of Lee’s stores are in the Midwest and southern states, but Lee’s also has international locations in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, with more stores scheduled to open in Jordan by the end of 2010. Headquarters are located in Walton Beach, Florida.
History
Lee Cummings, the nephew of Colonel Harland Sanders (founder of KFCKFC
KFC, founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. KFC has been a brand and operating segment, termed a concept of Yum! Brands since 1997 when that company was spun off from PepsiCo as Tricon Global...
), spent much of his childhood in the kitchen of his Henryville, Indiana
Henryville, Indiana
Henryville is a census-designated place in Clark County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,905 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Henryville is located at ....
home. Lee hit the road with his uncle Harland in 1952, selling their own special blend of spices along with their famous pressure cookers, which later became part of KFC's "Secret Recipe". In three years, Lee and the Colonel opened over 800 KFC stores.
After the sale of KFC in 1962, Lee Cummings started developing his recipe, later to be known as "Famous Recipe." In 1966, Lee along with Harold Omer started "Harold's Take-Home" in Lima, Ohio
Lima, Ohio
Lima is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northwestern Ohio along Interstate 75 approximately north of Dayton and south-southwest of Toledo....
where Lee first introduced his Famous Recipe Chicken. The word spread about this great new recipe and later that year the first franchise unit was opened in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
.
By 1967, the fifth franchise unit was opened in Springfield, Ohio
Springfield, Ohio
Springfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Clark County. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio and is situated on the Mad River, Buck Creek and Beaver Creek, approximately west of Columbus and northeast of Dayton. Springfield is home to Wittenberg...
. Later that year, units followed in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
and Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, as well as Kalamazoo, Michigan
Kalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
.
In 1970, Lee's Famous Recipe went international with the opening of three units in Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
and by 1972 there were more than 100 units in the thriving chain. By 1979, the number of units had doubled to 200 and in 1981 Lee sold the chain to Shoney's
Shoney's
Shoney’s is a privately held restaurant chain that operates primarily in the Southeast, Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states and is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. It is named after Alex Schoenbaum, who was the owner of the original chain of Big Boy restaurants in the southeastern United States...
Restaurants in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. Shoney's continued to operate Lee's along with their own Captain D's
Captain D's
Captain D’s is a U.S.-based chain of fast-food restaurants, specializing in seafood and fish and chips. The restaurant also features a low-carbohydrate menu. The restaurant chain's headquarters is located in Nashville, Tennessee....
and Shoney's Restaurants until 1995, when Lee's was sold to RTM Restaurant Group in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
.
In May 2003, the chain had 29 company owned locations and 125 franchised locations. In October 2003, Lee's Famous Recipe Inc., owned by Jeff Miller, a former Denny's operator, bought Lee's Chicken from RTM. Additional, RTM sold 13 corporate Lee's units to former franchise operations vice president Emmett Gemash.
On June 24, 2011, Lee's Famous Recipes, Inc. filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Georgia, where the Chapter 11 case of Mrs. Winner's is pending. The Chapter 11 case number is 11-68463.
Menu
Lee’s menu consists of homestyle foods.The Famous Recipe Chicken is the hallmark of the Lee’s brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
. It gets its flavor from Famous Recipe spices and is hand breaded, honey
Honey
Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
dipped, and pressure cooked to seal in the famous flavor. Chicken is prepared three ways: Famous Recipe, a more flavorful Crispy + Spicy variety, and the more tender Oven Roast.
In addition to the three major chicken varieties, Lee’s also serves Jumbo Breast Strips
Chicken fingers
Chicken fingers are deep-fried strips of chicken meat that do not include any bones or skin....
and Jumbo Boneless Wings. The Jumbo Breast Strips are big, all-white-meat breast strips that are prepared the same way as their Famous Recipe Chicken. They are served with a dipping sauce. The Jumbo Boneless Wings are chunks of all-white-meat chicken breasts marinated in a spicy blend of seasonings, then they are double breaded and pressure cooked.
Aside from the traditional chicken offerings, Lee’s also serves chicken sandwich
Chicken sandwich
A chicken sandwich or chicken burger is a boneless, skinless, breast of chicken on a hamburger bun topped with condiments and trimmings. Invented by Chick-fil-A in 1964, the chicken sandwich has become a popular American food choice....
es, chicken fried steak
Chicken fried steak
Chicken fried steak is a dish consisting of a piece of steak coated with seasoned flour and pan-fried. It is associated with Texas cuisine...
, chicken pot pie and livers & gizzards.
The sandwich offered at Lee's Famous Recipe is the Jumbo mini which is a breast strip dipped in your choice of sauce and served with a wheat bun, Honey Barbeque chicken is pulled chicken on a bun, Jumbo breast strip sandwich includes two jumbo breast strips served with lettuce on a bun, and a country fried steak sandwich served with one steak and dipped in gravy.
Country sides include Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Baked Beans, Coleslaw, Corn on-the-cob, Country Rice, Red beans and Rice, Potato salad, Macaroni and Cheese, Potato wedges, Hot apples, Jalapeño pepper, Broccoli Pasta salad and buttermilk biscuits.
Sides are available in Large (1 pint) or Individual sizes (6oz.).
Biscuits are available individually or by the ½ dozen.
Chicken is served as a meal with sides and a biscuit or a snack with just chicken and a biscuit.
Liver and Gizzards are served in a half pint cup, or a pint cup.
Small meals are available with one, two, or three pieces of mixed chicken, two individual sides and a biscuit. Liver and Gizzard meals are served as a half-pint with two individual sides and a biscuit.
Large Meals include an eight pieces with two large sides, and four biscuits, a twelve piece with three large sides and six biscuits, a sixteen piece with four large sides and eight biscuits, and a twenty piece with five large sides and ten biscuits. A twelve piece strip meal with two large sides and four biscuits. Catering is also available at participating locations.
Eight through twenty pieces of chicken can also be sold as a box which includes just the chicken alone.
Pepsi products are served along with sweet or unsweetened ice tea brewed fresh daily.