Kennedy Fried Chicken - History

History

Kennedy Fried Chicken was founded in 1975 with its first restaurant on Nostrand Avenue in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn. There is a dispute among the people involved in the business over who is the actual founder. Some claim that it is Abdul Karim while others say Taeb Zia was the early founder. Zia, an Afghan immigrant originally from Kabul, Afghanistan, is known by some as Zia Chicken or "Lau Chicken" and is regarded as the father of Kennedy Fried Chicken. He immigrated to the United States in 1972 and began working at a fast food restaurant by the name of Kansas Fried Chicken, which was owned by Afro-Americans at the time. Prior to that he was studying engineering in Baku, Azerbaijan. After spending about three years learning how to run a fast food business, he decided to open his own fried chicken restaurant.

"Then I saw I could do chicken just as well and 15 to 20 percent cheaper with my own recipe and spices." —Taeb Zia

Kennedy Fried Chicken was named after U.S. President John F. Kennedy, "because Afghans are fond of the former president." During the 1980s and 90s, many of the same restaurants have opened across New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maryland and several other states. Some of these chicken outlets have even opened in the West Coast, in California. Their total number is roughly estimated to be approximately 1,000.

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