This fast-growing West Coast chain is another popular contender in the home meal replacement biz, which includes Boston market and Kenny Rogers Roasters. In 1990, shortly after Kenneth Berg sold his mortgage banking business for $125 million, he came across a little two-unit chicken chain in Los Angeles that seemed to attract clientele from an income bracket above that of typical burger chain customers. Kenneth discovered that the chicken served in these stores was not only delicious but also prepared with a secret marinade and baste that allowed the chicken to be cooked in a more health-conscious way - without skin. The owners of the restaurants, brothers Michael and Raymond Badalian, had created a marinade of juices and spices that kept the chicken moist and juicy inside. The company claims the chicken is marinated for up to seventy-two hours in this secret concoction and then brushed with a tangy baste when grilling. Just three months later, Kenneth purchased the chain for $2.5 million - ten times what it was earning each year - and expanded into other Western states, growing the restaurant to around forty units strong. that's about the time the company merged with Family Restaurants, the corporation behind the El Torito and Chi-Chis Mexican food chains.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size--2 peices
Total servings--4
Calories per serving--195
Fat per serving--8 g