The Almost-Gone Chicken Chain That Dominated The '80s

Although most people think of burgers and fries when they think of fast food, chicken is definitely a dominating force to be reckoned with in the fast food industry. There are a plethora of fast food chicken nuggets and tenders out there (which we've ranked), not to mention dishes that utilize chicken, such as fast food chicken sandwiches (which we've also ranked), all over the menus of many fast food chains. With how common chicken is in fast food, it's hard to imagine a fast food chicken chain struggling. Unfortunately, struggling is exactly what happened to Pioneer Chicken, a restaurant chain from the '80s that nearly everyone has forgotten.

In its heyday, the chain was a beloved fried chicken takeout restaurant with a West Coast empire of 270 locations, as well as something of a figure in pop culture thanks to appearances in television shows and music videos. The chain showed no signs of stopping for years, but everything came to a halt when the chain's parent company filed for bankruptcy in 1988. Today, you can only find two locations left, in the chain's hometown of Los Angeles.

Pioneer Chicken is still hanging on, even if only by a thread. There are quite a few customers that still feel major nostalgia for the '80s chain, taking to social media to express their enjoyment of the chain's chicken. They haven't given up on the chain just yet, and Pioneer Chicken hasn't thrown in the towel either. The family behind one of the last two remaining locations is hoping to revive the once-beloved chicken chain, so who knows; maybe Pioneer Chicken will rise again.

Founded in 1961, Pioneer Chicken got its start in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. The chain's simple-but-delicious menu of various cuts of fried chicken (with a delightfully crunchy batter), buttermilk biscuits, and comfort classic sides, such as corn on the cob and macaroni salad, quickly made Pioneer Chicken into a successful business. A decade later, it had expanded to 100 locations dotted all over the state of California.

Pioneer Chicken continued to rise, establishing a professional partnership with Orange Whip, which became the official drink of the chain, and opening locations outside of California for the first time. The late '70s and early '80s made the chain into a pop culture figure thanks to commercials with sports celebrities, including Muhammad Ali and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, appearances in music videos, such as DeBarge's "Rhythm of the Night," and a feature in the intro sequence of television sitcom "Full House." However, the good times didn't last; by 1987, Pioneer Chicken was barely getting by. A year later, its parent company filed for bankruptcy.

The final nail in the coffin came in 1993, when the parent company of Popeye's took in many of the remaining locations to convert them from Pioneer Chicken restaurants to Popeye's restaurants, effectively wiping Pioneer Chicken off the map. Only two Los Angeles locations remain, which have been fighting to regain the chain's status as a pop culture and California icon with the help of social media. Overall, Pioneer Chicken suffered a major fall from grace towards the tail end of the '80s, but there's still some hope out there that good chicken, nostalgia, and careful social media posting can help revive the once-great chicken chain.