There are places that sell fried chicken that everyone knows. Popeye's KFC, Chick-fil-A,
but there's one place that often gets shafted in the fried chicken conversation: Church's.
Church's may not be as much of a household name as the other fried chicken joints, but
it has a history all its own. From its humble Texas roots, it has grown into a massive international
chain, still selling the same delicious fried chicken it has always provided to its loyal
customers. So don’t miss out while we look at the top ten untold truths of Church's Chicken.
Church's Chicken Was Established in 1952
The 1950s were a tumultuous time in the world. Post-war America had a booming economy, people
were buying houses, and the television was starting to become a standard item in those
houses. Things were on the verge of change, politically and socially, and a lot of people
felt like they weren't ready for it yet. Fast food hadn't become the thing we know today,
but even that was about to change forever, as more restaurants started popping up everywhere
and offering something different. One of those fast food places was Church's Chicken. In
1952, founder George W. Church Sr. opened the first location in San Antonio, Texas.
Back then, before the shorthand came into use, the restaurant was known as Church's
Fried Chicken To Go. You rolled up in your Studebaker, placed your order, got your chicken,
and rolled back to your house before I Love Lucy started. Church's might have had humble
origins, but it only grew from there and continued to do what it did best: sell quality fried
chicken.
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Church's Chicken Remembers the Alamo
There is a lot of history in Texas, even besides the fact that it's where Church's Chicken
got its start. There are many major historical events that took place in the Lone Star state.
One of the most famous of them all was the battle at the Alamo. While it was a major
loss for Texas during the Texas Revolution, it is still remembered as the time a few brave
soldiers stood up to an invading force, despite their significant loss. After that defeat,
the Texan forces saw major recruitment and eventually won the revolution. The Alamo is
still standing as a historical monument, and right across the street from it was the very
first Church's Chicken. George Church was obviously a savvy businessman, as he saw the
opportunity to catch people who were visiting the monument and hopefully sell them some
of his delicious fried chicken while they were taking it all in. It's the kind of move
that business leaders look at today and go "now that was some smart decision making!"
Smart, indeed, as it probably helped Church's to become a familiar name to Texans, and what
better selling point could there be than "right across the street from the Alamo!"
Church's Chicken is the World’s Fourth Largest Chicken Chain
When it comes to fried chicken, your options are clear: you've got KFC, Popeye's, and if
you're in the mood for a chicken sandwich, Chick-fil-A. All of these places have their
good qualities, and all of them have some things that might turn you off from them.
However, they all offer something different from each other, which makes them stand out.
Behind them all is Church's, holding the title of the fourth largest chicken chain in the
world. That might not sound that impressive, but if you think about how many places out
there are selling chicken, then you must realize that being fourth in the world is actually
quite a decent accomplishment. Imagine if you were the fourth richest person in the
world. That would still make you extremely rich! That's why Church's is so great, really.
Though it might not be a behemoth like KFC or Popeye's or have the kind of brand recognition
of Chick-fil-A, that doesn't mean that they are failing or that they aren't any good.
All it means is that Church's still has an opportunity to get even bigger and do even
more with its products. After all, a little bit of healthy competition never hurt anyone.
Church's Chicken is International
Businesses like to expand into other markets. That's why places like McDonald's and Burger
King have spread themselves out all over the world and started selling their products on
other continents. They know the value of brand recognition on a global scale. That's why
they keep going and reaching into other countries, serving dishes that incorporate the local
flavors to make themselves a part of the local culture even more. That's just the plain truth
about making money and growing your company. Church's knows this just the same as anyone
else. They have expanded their business to 25 different countries all over the world.
Including varied locations like Belarus, Egypt, New Zealand, the UK, and Thailand. It just
goes to show that fried chicken is not just popular in America. All over the world, people
love a good plate of chicken that is breaded, marinated, crispy, and juicy. After all, who
wouldn't love that? When you're hungry, you have to admit that a good piece of fried chicken
is pretty satisfying.
Church's Chicken Is Known as "Texas Chicken" Outside of North America
Sometimes a restaurant will undergo changes to its usual image in order to appeal to a
more international customer group. As mentioned, McDonald's and Burger King, as well as other
fast food places that have expanded internationally, usually offer some local dishes that are not
available anywhere else. They often incorporate the local cuisine in new and exciting ways
to sort of give a spin to the restaurant's usual collection of entrees, sides, and desserts.
Church's Chicken, however, has a unique problem. The name "Church's," though not denoting anything
religious, could potentially be seen as religious outside of the United States. In order to
curb any concern that this might offend people, Church's goes by a different name in other
countries: Texas Chicken. This actually isn't a terrible idea, as it lets people know that
what they are eating is an authentic American dish and that it hasn't been altered or changed
in any way. If anything, it's an incredibly smart strategy that avoids controversy while
also presenting a branding opportunity. Making changes to your business is part of playing
the game, and when a business has expanded internationally, it has to do its best to
match the local culture. Church's has done a great job of doing that, and its success
is proof that it made the right decision to rebrand itself for the international market.
Church's Chicken Used to Sponsor Chess Tournaments
Chess is the game of kings. Some version of it has existed for centuries. It has changed
and been adapted over time, beginning with the Indian game chaturanga. it was then brought
to Europe in the ninth century. The pieces were assigned their levels of power in 15th
century Spain. The rules we know today were finally standardized in the 19th century.
Chess is a game that requires deep thought, strategy, and cunning. It’s also a game
about anticipating your opponent's next move. Chess is also a valuable teaching tool, allowing
people to learn about strategy, history, hierarchy, and game theory. Church's Chicken saw the
value in Chess, which is why from 1979 to 1986, they sponsored the "grand prix" of chess
tournaments in the United States. This was a valuable branding and advertising tool for
Church's. While other fast food locations were sponsoring sporting events and anything
else they could put their name on, Church's was devoting theirs to a more intellectual
pursuit. It just goes to show you that even fast food companies can believe in the value
of expanding people's minds. More fast food companies would do well to understand the
value of sponsoring more academic competitions, especially today when there is so much attention
put on kids learning math and science. Church's might not sponsor chess tournaments anymore,
but it is a part of their history, and they are proud of what they contributed to the
game's status in the US.
Jalapenos were the First Side Dish at Church’s Chicken
When we think of fast food side dishes, what's the first thing that comes to mind? Probably
french fries, right? Well obviously! They’re a staple of not just burger places, but also
chicken places. Sure, you can get a side salad (or, if you find yourself at Wendy's, chili
or a baked potato), but when it comes down to it, it's those crispy, hot fried potato
sticks that keep people coming back to most places. You wouldn't even think that a place
could get away with serving a side other than fries. Well, hold on just a minute, because
we're about to tell you something that might make you think twice about what kinds of sides
a place can serve. When Church's first opened in 1952, it didn't serve any side dishes,
but three years later, as they started to become more popular, they added a side dish
option. It just wasn't the one you would think. They served jalapeno peppers as a side dish!
That's right, to go with your hot crispy fried chicken, you could get an order of jalapeno
peppers. Now that would make for a pretty spicy meal, but at the end of the day, it
would be delicious! According to Church's website, the real secret to getting a side
of jalapeno peppers is to squeeze the juice from them onto the chicken. This is apparently
something that Church's customers have been doing since the side dish was introduced back
in the 1950s.
Church’s Chicken Moves up North
When a company is starting to expand outside of the US, it has a lot of different options
of where to go first. However, the most logical choice would be the countries that are right
next to it: Mexico and Canada. In fact, Canada has been a long-standing trade and business
partner with the United States, and many American Businesses already operate in Canada, almost
at the same rate as in the U.S. One of those businesses is Church's chicken, whose first
international location was opened in Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada in the 1970s. That
was a big leap for the business, but it continued to grow and change and adapt to the marketplace.
As we mentioned before, Church's has locations in over 25 different countries in the world
now, and they don't seem to want to stop their worldwide expansion efforts. Why would they?
After all, a business needs to grow to stay profitable. Church's opening their first location
in Canada also says something else about the chain. It shows the world that Church's is
an American company that values its national relationship with the Great White North. Canada
is a great place to spread out and sell fried chicken. After all, Canadians love it just
as much as Americans, and they could always use more options other than just KFC and Popeye's.
Church’s Chicken Had a Mascot Named Churchie
Every fast food restaurant needs a mascot. McDonald's has Ronald McDonald, Little Caesar's
has its Little Caesar, and KFC just went right ahead and used its larger than life founder,
Colonel Sanders, as its mascot. Putting a face on the company helps people identify
it better, and also allows for more marketing opportunities since you have a built-in character
to use in ads. Church's Chicken was no different than any of these other fast food places.
They knew that having a cute, little character for people to identify with would help the
company to grow and be more recognizable. Thus the invention of the Church's mascot,
Churchie, a rotund little chef man with a big smile, bowtie, and a chef's hat. The sweet
smiling face of this little cartoon was enough to endear the public to the company and helped
Church's to become a more recognizable name in the fast food fried chicken game. It just
goes to show that having a friendly face, even if it's one that you made up, be part
of your company, can seriously help the company become a household name and grow in size.
After all, if people know the character, then they know the food, and they will be more
likely to visit a place that is familiar to them.
Church’s Chicken Gives Away $200,000
Fast food companies make huge profits. That's just a fact of life. Even though it's not
good for them, people continue to flock to McDonald's, KFC, and Taco Bell in droves every
day to get their fix of carbs, protein, and MSG. Since these companies make so much money,
they have to do something to help with all of the taxes they would have to pay on it.
Luckily, they usually follow their hearts and at least give some of the money to charity.
Everybody benefits from it, and it puts a little bit of good back into the world. Church's
Chicken is no different. They run their own charitable program which does great work across
the United States. The program distributes scholarships to high school students in order
to help them pay for college. The program is known as the Church’s Scholars Program
(now in its fourth year), and it has distributed over $200,000 as part of the 2018 school
year. The scholarship money can be used towards college, university, or trade schools. These
kids, who have worked hard to achieve something great now have a little financial boost going
into the next phase of their education. Thanks to Church's Chicken.
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