Chicken in the Rough, sometimes called Beverly’s Chicken in the Rough, was founded in 1936 by Beverly and Rubye Osborne . During the depression, the Osborne’s tried to drive out of the dustbowl of Oklahoma with a few dollars and a basket full of fried chicken. Hitting a bump in the road, the chicken fell out of the basket, causing Rubye to exclaim something like “Well, this is chicken sure is in the rough”. This sparked an idea with Beverly. The couple turned the car around and pawned Rubye’s wedding ring to buy chicken, biscuits, honey, and potatoes to start their own business.
At its peak, the company had more than 400 franchises, however, interest in the original plate, which was half a fried chicken, shoestring potatoes, with biscuits and honey, waned over the years. Today, there are only 3 restaurants which still use the name Chicken in the Rough, but there are some restaurants who serve the dish.
Chicken in the Rough is now owned by the Carroll family. Company headquarters are now located in Tinley Park, Illinois.
Chicken in the RoughChicken in the Rough, sometimes called Beverly’s Chicken in the Rough, was founded in 1936 by Beverly and Rubye Osborne . During the depression, the Osborne’s tried to drive out of the dustbowl of Oklahoma with a few dollars and a basket full of fried chicken. Hitting a bump in the road, the chicken fell out of the basket, causing Rubye to exclaim something like “Well, this is chicken sure is in the rough”. This sparked an idea with Beverly. The couple turned the car around and pawned Rubye’s wedding ring to buy chicken, biscuits, honey, and potatoes to start their own business.
At its peak, the company had more than 400 franchises, however, interest in the original plate, which was half a fried chicken, shoestring potatoes, with biscuits and honey, waned over the years. Today, there are only 3 restaurants which still use the name Chicken in the Rough, but there are some restaurants who serve the dish.
Chicken in the Rough is now owned by the Carroll family. Company headquarters are now located in Tinley Park, Illinois.
