Brown's Chicken & Pasta

Infobox_Company
company_name = Brown's Chicken & Pasta
company_
company_type = Private
foundation = 1964 in Bridgeview, Illinois
location = Bridgeview, Illinois, USA
key_people = Frank Portillo, founder, owner
John Brown, founder
industry = Restaurants
homepage = [http://www.brownschicken.com www.brownschicken.com]

Brown's Chicken & Pasta, also known simply as Brown's Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants specializing in fried chicken. It is based in Chicago, United States.

History

The chain was founded in 1964 as Brown and Portillo Inc., by John Brown and Frank Portillo, in Bridgeview, Illinois. Brown's expanded to many locations throughout the United States in the 1970s, and also changed their name to simply "Brown's Chicken". In the 1980s, pasta was added to the menu and eventually the name of the company. In the 1990s, a traditional grill named "The Chicago Way" was added to all Brown's restaurants. The Chicago Way sells Vienna Beef hot dogs, hamburgers, and Italian beef sandwiches. After 2005, the company contracted their locations to exclusively within the Chicago metropolitan area.

Corporate information

Frank Portillo is the president of Brown's Chicken. He is the older brother of Dick Portillo, founder and owner of the Portillo's restaurant chain.

Brown's Chicken Massacre

On January 8, 1993, the event that would become infamous as the Brown's Chicken Massacre occurred at a Palatine, Illinois branch. Seven people were murdered, including both owners and 5 employees. In 2002, James Degorski and Juan Luna were arrested for the murders.citeweb|url=http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=31193|accessdate=2008-03-20|title=Second Brown's Chicken murder trial will start in February|author=Stacy St. Clair|publisher=Daily Herald] In May 2007, Luna was convicted of his part in the murders and sentenced to life imprisonment.

The Palatine branch never reopened after the massacre took place. Throughout the late 1990s, a few businesses tried to use the site but were unsuccessful and soon went out of business. The site has since been demolished and is now an extension of the surrounding parking lot.

References

External links

* [http://www.brownschicken.com/index2.html Corporate website]