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A fried chicken restaurant is a fast food restaurant, often a chain, that serves (mainly) fried chicken—usually chunks of chicken, battered or breaded and deep-fried—as opposed to other ways of cooking chicken such as broiling or roasting.
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United States
The concept of the fried chicken restaurant originated in the United States. These restaurants may also serve other food items, such as roast or grilled chicken, seafood, or hamburgers. KFC is a well-known example. Others include:
Canada
Several world-wide US-based chains have also outlets in Canada, including KFC and Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits. Chains of fried chicken fast-food restaurants originating in Canada include Dixie Lee based in Napanee, Ontario and Mary Brown's based in Markham, Ontario.
United Kingdom
Fried chicken restaurants are commonplace in inner city areas of the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom has one of the largest, fastest growing and most diverse fried chicken markets in the world, with about 1,000 individual brands and 1,700 outlets. Shop signs are commonly designed in a red, white and blue colour scheme, and include a drawing or cartoon of a chicken, as well as a reference to the Southern United States.
Some British chicken outlets serve Halal meat and use a more spicy batter formula to differentiate themselves from KFC and appeal to young Muslim customers. Some have also diversified to sell kebabs, pizza and fish and chips. Especially popular in poor and ethnic minority neighbourhoods, fried chicken restaurants have been criticised for contributing to urban blight. For instance, Tottenham MP David Lammy thinks the proliferation of chicken joints hampers prosperity in his constituency. Residents in Waltham Forest see them as "eyesores that encourage anti-social behaviour", according to a poll.
Other popular UK chicken brands include Chicken Cottage, Miss Millie's Fried Chicken, Morley's, Favourable Chicken, Tennessee Fried Chicken, Favourite Chicken, Halal Fried Chicken, Alaska Fried Chicken, Perfect Chicken and Dixy Chicken.