Pioneer Chicken

Pioneer Take Out

Industry	Restaurant
Founded	1961
Headquarters	Los Angeles County, California, U.S
Products	Fried chicken

Pioneer Chicken, (or Pioneer Take Out, as it is officially named), is an American fried chicken restaurant which was founded in Echo Park, Los Angeles in 1961 by H.R. Kaufman. When Kaufman sold the chain in 1987, there were 270 stores operated by 220 franchisees.

During the 1970s, several locations operated in Honolulu on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. As of 2015, there are only three locations remaining - two in Los Angeles and one in Bell Gardens, California.

Origins

It was named after Pioneer Market, a now-defunct small chain of supermarkets in Los Angeles. The original location in Echo Park was located next to the 1980s era Pioneer Market (the original 1932 market having been torn down in the 1980s after suffering structural damage as a result of the Sylmar Earthquake) on Echo Park Avenue and Sunset Boulevard which has since been replaced by a Walgreens Pharmacy in 2004. Due to considerable redevelopment activity in the neighborhood caused by gentrification, it was shut down in March 2009 and replaced by a Little Caesar's Pizza the following year. During the 1980s, Los Angeles Lakers announcer Chick Hearn and former football player O.J. Simpson used to advertise for the restaurant.

AFC Enterprises acquisition

In 1993, Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits owner AFC Enterprises purchased the franchise and converted most locations into Popeyes.

Locations

There are three remaining locations in the Los Angeles area: 1) 904 S. Soto Street, Los Angeles; 2) 928 S Western Ave, Ste 139, Los Angeles; and 3) 6323 Florence Avenue, Bell Gardens.

In Indonesia

In 1983, three alumni from the University of Southern California decided to open a Pioneer Chicken franchise in Jakarta under the name California Fried Chicken.

As of 2013, the parent company of the stores in Indonesia, Pioneerindo Gourmet International, currently have over 200 CFC restaurants throughout that nation. CFC had a few franchises in Shanghai during the 1990s, but they may not currently exist.

In popular culture

Brad Hamilton (Judge Reinhold) at 31:16 in Fast Times at Ridgemont High being confronted by his manager. A Pioneer Chicken location can be seen through the window.

A mascot can be seen through Frank Dooley's (John Candy) patrol car windshield at the beginning of Armed & Dangerous

.Warren Zevon's song "Carmelita" refers to Pioneer Chicken: "I pawned my Smith Corona/And I went to meet my man / He hangs out down on Alvarado Street/By the Pioneer chicken stand". In The Aquabats' 1997 song "Magic Chicken!", the singer invites the listener to "Do the Pioneer!" during a funk breakdown where various chicken restaurant franchises are named.

In film, the opening of the movie The Last American Virgin shows a Pioneer Chicken location at the northeast corner of Hollywood & Western in the background as the protagonist Gary (Lawrence Monoson), drives off making a pizza delivery. The same location is shown in one scene in Death Wish II and towards the end of the DeBarge music video "Rhythm Of The Night". The same location's likeness is shown as The Simpsons' family home in the "Time And Punishment" segment of Treehouse Of Horror V.

A Pioneer Chicken location is briefly shown in the background in the 1982 film Fast Times at Ridgemont High during the restaurant scene involving the dissatisfied customer. The site was located on San Vicente Boulevard in Brentwood, Los Angeles.

A Pioneer Chicken outlet is shown at 6720 Hollywood Boulevard at the beginning of Armed And Dangerous when one of the film's protagonists, Frank Dooley (John Candy) is on patrol just before he is framed.

See also

• List of fast-food chicken restaurants

Further reading

• Vintage Pioneer Chicken Sign Heading to Museum Los Angeles Magazine March 2, 2016