In this edition of 'Once Upon a Time in Lubbock,' we're going way back to the late 1960s and Minnie Pearl's Fried Chicken.

In the late 60s, KFC ruled the roost -- pun intended. And a couple of brothers in Tennessee thought they could do as well, if not better than KFC.

But the story of this short-lived franchise is a long story and I won't bore you with those details. (If you want to see the whole story of Minnie Pearl's Fried Chicken, check out the video below.)

Minnie Pearl's was known for their unique looking buildings, two of which are still standing in Lubbock, but not for serving chicken.

Credit Restaurant Rewind - YouTube
Credit Restaurant Rewind via YouTube
loading...

The 4420 34th Street location, which was a florist for years, then a home remodel showroom, and now Balfour's.

Google Maps
Google Maps
loading...

And 2202 19th Street, which is currently a laundromat.

Google Maps
Google Maps
loading...

They opened, according to the City Directory, in late 1969 and stayed open until roughly October 1970. Not long at all. So why did they close, besides poor management? The food.

The first hint that something was wrong came when Minnie Pearl’s restaurants began to open and customers began to taste the food. Its meteoric rise notwithstanding, almost no one at Performance Systems actually knew anything about cooking chicken...

...After the restaurants opened, everyone would go try the chicken and they wouldn’t go back after that.

In short, people didn't like the chicken. And if the customers don't like the food, then it was bound to fail.

The last known location closed up shop in 1973.

And that was the short history of the short-lived Minnie Pearl's Fried Chicken.

Does anyone remember this place? If you do let us know in the comments.

More From Lonestar 99-5 FM