Zankou Chicken

{{Short description|California based fast casual restaurant chain}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Zankou Chicken

| logo = Zankou Chicken logo.png

| logo_caption =

| image = ZankouChickenPlate.jpg

| image_caption = Tarna plate at Zankou Chicken

| trading_name =

| type = Private

| traded_as =

| industry = Casual dining restaurant

| fate =

| foundation = {{Start date and age|1962}} in Beirut, Lebanon

| founder = Vartkes Iskenderian

| defunct =

| location_city = Vernon, California

| location_country = U.S.

| locations = 17

| area_served = Los Angeles metropolitan area

| num_employees =

| homepage = {{URL|http://zankouchicken.com/}}
{{URL|http://zankouchicken.la}}

| footnotes =

| bodystyle =

}}

Zankou Chicken is the name of 2 family-owned Armenian and Mediterranean fast casual restaurant chains located in the Los Angeles area.https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-mar-18-la-fi-zankou18-2010mar18-story.html The restaurants are especially known for their spit-roasted chicken, shawarma, falafel, tahini, and a "secret" garlic sauce.{{Cite web|url=http://laist.com/2007/11/27/fast_food_that.php|title=Fast Food that Will Still Respect You in the Morning|last=Thompson|first=Elise|website=LAist|access-date=2016-04-21|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160316112834/http://laist.com/2007/11/27/fast_food_that.php|archive-date=2016-03-16}}

History

The first Zankou Chicken was opened in 1962 in the Bourj Hammoud neighborhood of Beirut, Lebanon, by Armenian Vartkes Iskenderian and his family.{{Cite magazine| last=Arax|first=Mark|title=The Zankou Chicken Murders |magazine=Los Angeles Magazine|pages=124–129, 202–206|date=April 2008|url=https://lamag.com/.amp/crimeinla/the-zankou-chicken-murders}}

The chain was established within the United States in 1983 by his son, Mardiros Iskenderian, after the family immigrated to Los Angeles, California. After considering opening a dry cleaning business or selling men's suits, Iskenderian recognized a lack of restaurants catering to the growing Middle Eastern immigrant population in Los Angeles. This included Armenian and Lebanese compatriots who fled Lebanon during the civil war.{{Cite web|url=https://www.kcet.org/food/iconic-neighborhood-restaurants-east-hollywood-little-armenia|title=Iconic Neighborhood Restaurants: East Hollywood & Little Armenia|website=KCET|date=30 November 2015|access-date=2016-04-21}}

The first restaurant in Los Angeles opened in an East Hollywood neighborhood called Little Armenia{{Cite web|url=https://laist.com/news/neighborhood-pr|title=Neighborhood Project: Little Armenia|date=Jul 10, 2007|website=LAist|accessdate=May 1, 2021}} and is located at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Normandie Avenue. The restaurant is especially known for its thick, paste-like garlic sauce, created by Vartkes' wife, Markrid{{cite news | first=Darrell | last=Satzman | title=Zankou Chicken's tragic family rift impedes chain's growth | date=March 18, 2010 | url =https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-zankou18-2010mar18,0,573630.story | work =Los Angeles Times | access-date = 2010-03-18 }} and widely imitated.{{cite news |last=Sakai |first=Shuji |url=http://www.ocweekly.com/restaurants/zankous-garlic-sauce-clone-6611754 |title=Zankou's Garlic Sauce Clone |work=OC Weekly |date=February 9, 2011 |access-date=2016-04-27 }}

In 1991, the family agreed to divide the business when Mardiros wanted to open additional restaurants. The new restaurants would be owned by Mardiros, while the original Sunset and Normandie store would be owned by his parents and two sisters. Vartkes Iskenderian died in 1992.

Since opening, Zankou Chicken has expanded and includes the following locations in the greater Los Angeles area: East Hollywood, Hollywood, West Los Angeles, Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, North Hollywood/Toluca Lake, Van Nuys, West Los Angeles, Downtown Los Angeles, Granada Hills, Tarzana, Thousand Oaks,

Long Beach, Montebello, Anaheim (the only location halal certified),https://zankouchicken.com/faqs/ Huntington Beach, and Valencia/Santa Clarita.{{Cite web|url=http://zankouchicken.com/#findzankou|title=Zankou Chicken {{!}} Roasted Chicken, Shawerma, Tarna, and our legendary Garlic Sauce|website=Zankou Chicken|language=en-US|access-date=2016-04-27}} (The original location, Granada Hills, Tarzana, Thousand Oaks, and Montebello locations are not listed on the website; Rita Iskenderian owns the website and doesn't include them.)

On January 14, 2003, after a heated argument, Zankou Chicken owner Mardiros Iskenderian shot and killed his sister, Dzovig Marjik, and his mother Margarit Iskenderian; he then killed himself in a double-murder suicide. Iskenderian was in the late stages of colon and brain cancer, which is believed to have had an effect on his mental faculties.{{cite web

| url = http://www.laexaminer.com/mt/archives/week_2003_01_12.html | title = LA Examiner: January 12–18, 2003 Archives | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060221083551/http://www.laexaminer.com/mt/archives/week_2003_01_12.html | archive-date = 2006-02-21}}{{cite news | first=Andrew | last=Blankstein |author2=Michael Krikorian | title= Restaurant Family's Tragedy: Cancer and stress may be why the operator of Zankou Chicken killed his sister and mother. | date=January 16, 2003 | url =https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-jan-16-me-zankou16-story.html | work =Los Angeles Times | access-date = 2010-03-18 }} The repercussions of this event, and the lasting division of the brand into two family factions, impeded the continuing growth of the business despite the restaurants' popularity.

In the California Court of Appeal case Iskenderian v. Iskenderian,Iskenderian v. Iskenderian, [http://online.ceb.com/calcases/CA4/144CA4t1162.htm 144 Cal. App. 4th 1162] (2006) Mardiros Iskenderian's widow Rita unsuccessfully sought to attain sole control of the Zankou Chicken trademark.

In 2013, Zankou Chicken was one of the contributors for Green Armenia, which brings attention to environmental problems faced by the people of Armenia.{{Cite web|url=http://asbarez.com/112863/green-armenia-inaugural-event-a-big-success/|title=Green Armenia Inaugural Event a Big Success|website=Asbarez.com|date=14 August 2013 |language=en-US|access-date=2016-04-21}}

In popular culture

The restaurant was mentioned by Beck (rhyming "Zankou chicken" with "ripe for the pickin'") in his song "Debra", from the album Midnite Vultures.Deborah Picker, [http://www.laweekly.com/1999-12-23/news/preppie-living-wage/2/ "Preppie Living Wage: Ménage À Garlic Paste"], LA Weekly, December 23, 1999.Janelle Brown, [https://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/20/dining/valet-parking-that-s-so-2000-in-los-angeles-strip-mall-food-is-way-cool.html "Valet Parking? That's So 2000. In Los Angeles, Strip Mall Food Is Way Cool"], The New York Times, August 20, 2003.
Zankou Chicken inspired a fictional Palestinian chicken restaurant in Curb Your Enthusiasm, so good that "it could end the rift in the Middle East".{{Cite web|url=http://laist.com/2011/08/03/any_fans_of_curb_your.php|title='Curb Your Enthusiasm' Gives Not Subtle Shout Out to Zankou Chicken|last=Ogilvie|first=Jessica P.|website=LAist|access-date=2016-04-21|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160407111047/http://laist.com/2011/08/03/any_fans_of_curb_your.php|archive-date=2016-04-07}}{{Cite web|url=http://blogs.laweekly.com/squidink/2011/08/jonathan_gold_palestinian_chic.php|title=Palestinian Chicken Conflict: Only in Curb Your Enthusiasm or Is It Real?|last=Gold|first=Jonathan|website=L.A. Weekly|access-date=2016-04-21}}
Zankou Chicken is a subject in Rob Delaney's book ''Rob Delaney: Mother. Wife. Sister. Human. Warrior. Falcon. Yardstick. Turban. Cabbage.{{Cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/review/rob-delaney-emmother-wife-sister-human-warrior-fal-105059|title=Rob Delaney: Mother. Wife. Sister. Human. Warrior. Falcon. Yardstick. Turban. Cabbage.|website=www.avclub.com|date=4 November 2013 |access-date=2016-04-21}}
Adam Richman of Man v. Food called Zankou Chicken a "can't miss".{{Cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/eats/local-best-food-vacation-natives-article-1.949653|title=Follow the locals for the best food on vacation|website=NY Daily News|access-date=2016-04-21}}
The Zankou Chicken Murders were featured in the 32nd episode of "My Favorite Murder"{{Cite web|url=https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/independent-content-provider/my-favorite-murder/e/46167544|title=My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark – 32 – Just The 32 Of Us|access-date=2018-07-30}}
The music video for Childish Gambino's song "Sober" from his EP Kauai was filmed in the original Hollywood location.
The restaurant was mentioned in an episode of the talk show Conan.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0n4oQUMiHs |title=Conan Visits Jerusalem & Outlines Trump's Peace Plan {{!}} CONAN on TBS |date=2017-09-20 |last=Team Coco |access-date=2024-12-31 |via=YouTube}}

References

External links

[http://www.zankouchicken.com Zankou Chicken Official Site] – 9 Locations: Anaheim, Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, Toluca Lake, Valencia, Van Nuys, West Hollywood, W. Los Angeles
[https://www.zankouchicken.la/ Zankou Chicken Official Site] – 3 Locations: Hollywood, Tarzana, Granada Hills

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Category:1962 establishments in Lebanon

Category:Armenian cuisine

Category:Armenian-American culture in California

Category:Companies based in Los Angeles County, California

Category:Fast-food poultry restaurants

Category:Family-owned companies of the United States

Category:Lebanese restaurants

Category:Lebanese-American culture in California

Category:Middle Eastern restaurants

Category:Middle Eastern-American culture in Los Angeles

Category:Restaurants established in 1962