Golden Skillet

Golden Skillet is a fast-food chain that mainly sells fried chicken originating in Richmond, Virginia. The first Golden Skillet chicken was sold in 1963 at the downtown Richmond department store Thalhimer's. The fried chicken recipe was created by Clifton W. Guthrie, the original owner and founder of Golden Skillet.

The slogan for the chain was "Tender as Quail! Tasty as Pheasant!" While the recipe was not officially published, it is known that the fried chicken was cooked in special pressure-cookers and with specific breading.

History
In 1963, a vice president of a Thalhimers grocery store tasted Guthrie's chicken at a banquet and shortly after, it was sold at the Thalhimers' restaurant.

Eventually, in Richmond, the first freestanding location opened in 1968. By October 2, 1981, Guthrie's death, the chain had grown to 180 franchises worldwide and 16 places of operation. It had affiliate firms with Puerto Rico, Canada, and Japan. As of April 2024, the company operates 10 locations in Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia.

Golden Skillet would be sold to American chain Dairy Queen sometime in the 1980s after Guthrie's death.

Locations
Some locations of the franchise include Sandston, Virginia, Plymouth, North Carolina, Henderson, North Carolina, Ahoskie, North Carolina, Petersburg, Virginia, and Richmond, Virginia.