Chicken Licken

Chicken Licken is South Africa's largest indigenous fried chicken restaurant chain and the world's largest non-American-owned fried chicken franchise, founded in 1981 by George Sombonos (1949-2016), son of Greek immigrants who came to South Africa during World War II. Sombonos famously bought the secret Chicken Licken spice recipe from a fast food outlet owner in Waco, Texas, for USD 1,000 in 1972 while touring the United States, then mixed it secretly under his bed and swapped it into his father's Dairy Den roadhouse in Ridgeway, Johannesburg. During apartheid in 1975, Sombonos broke the law by serving black customers in their cars at Dairy Den, giving them dignity - Winnie Mandela and Tokyo Sexwale became regulars. Chicken Licken opened its first restaurant in 1981, and in 1982 famously won a trademark lawsuit against KFC who claimed the name was too similar to "Finger Lickin' Good". Today Chicken Licken has 286+ outlets across South Africa and Botswana, generates R3 billion in annual turnover, and is led by Sombonos's daughter Chantal Sombonos-Van Tonder (who has won 49 Loeries plus a Grand Prix for the brand). The brand is known for its humorous advertising including the iconic Joe Mafela "S'good, good, good, S'good, it's nice" jingle from 1986.