Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken
American casual dining franchise
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken is a quick service restaurant franchise founded in 1966 specializing in chicken, homestyle sides, and biscuits.
| |
| Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken | |
| Type | |
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Genre | Fast food |
| Founded | 1966 |
| Founder | Lee Cummings |
| Headquarters | , U.S. |
Number of locations | 135[1] (132 in the US, 3 in Canada) |
Area served | United States (primarily Midwest and South) and Canada |
Key people | Ryan Weaver (CEO) |
| Products | Chicken, biscuits |
| Services | Catering |
| Revenue | $235 million (2025) |
| Owner | Ryan Weaver, Artemis Lane LP |
| Parent | Artemis Restaurant Corp |
| Website | leesfamousrecipe.com |
History
The origin of the chain dates back to 1962, when Lee Cummings began developing his proprietary recipe of three flours and nine spices. In 1966, Cummings, along with business partner Harold Omer, opened the first "Harold's Take-Home" restaurant in Lima, Ohio, introducing the "Famous Recipe" chicken.[1] Later that same year, Cummings opened the chain's first franchise location in Columbus, Ohio.[1] Fueled by rapid regional growth, the franchise network expanded to include 14 restaurants by 1970.[1]
The chain expanded in 1967 with new locations in Dayton and Cincinnati, Ohio, as well as a unit in Kalamazoo, Michigan.[1] By 1972, the enterprise celebrated its 100th restaurant opening in Sanford, Florida.[1] In 1981, marking the chain's 15th anniversary, Cummings sold the rights to the company to Shoney's, Inc., based in Nashville, Tennessee.[1] Cummings later died in 2002 at the age of 80.[2]
Shoney's continued to operate the chain alongside its other brands until 1995, when Lee's was sold to the RTM Restaurant Group based in Atlanta, Georgia.[1] Under RTM's ownership, the chain grew to encompass 29 company-owned locations and 125 franchised locations by May 2003.[1] Ownership shifted later that year in October 2003 when Lee's Famous Recipes, Inc. purchased the chain from RTM.[1] A decade later, in April 2013, Famous Recipe Group LLC acquired the brand, overseeing operations until the 2021 sale.[1]
In June 2021, Famous Recipe Group, LLC, brand owner of Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken, agreed to sell the brand to LFR Chicken, LLC, a new entity backed by Artemis Lane Partners. Following the acquisition, the chain introduced a modernized visual identity and a new restaurant prototype format in 2023.[1] In June 2026, the chain announced the development of its first new prototype location in the St. Louis area, aiming to expand its corporate footprint in the Midwest.[3]
