Mystery restaurant with frying pan-shaped sign

[Andrew T.]

I photographed this abandoned restaurant is on U.S. 52 in Bluewell, West Virginia during my final trip there in the spring of 2013. The most notable feature is a gigantic, angled signpost seemingly shaped like a frying pan:

Does anyone recognize what this once was?

[Groceteria]

Golden Skillet Fried Chicken. Originally connected with the Thalhimer's Department Store family, oddly enough. I've seen two still in operation, one in Danville VA and one in Portsmouth VA. Pressed for time now. More later.

[Clifton]

Agreed. I used to eat at Golden Skillets in various cities in Va back in the late 70s/early 80s.

[jleyerle]

Golden Skillet is it. Was centered on Richmond, VA. I was a mystery shopper for KFC in the 1987-1989 timeframe, and periodically went to the Tidewater/Richmond area. There were a couple around Richmond at the time. If memory serves, they used a pressure fryer (similar to KFC Original Recipe or Lees' Famous Recipe).

[the506]

The Mary Browns chain in Canada started as a Golden Skillet franchise and I believe still uses the same recipe.

[storewanderer]

Looking around at the still open Golden Skillet units, I notice some of them have a greenhouse-type glass window front designs sort of like older Wendys units.

In Fallon, NV there is a Subway unit freestanding with drive through that looks very much like that design. Before Subway that was a Taco Time and possibly some kind of small chain/unknown burger format. I wonder if this Golden Skillet chain got this far west? I don't know of any other buildings of this design around the area.

[Groceteria]

For the record, I had no idea about the Mary Brown’s connection in Canada. I was just in Toronto two weeks ago and stopped in a Mary Browns. Great chicken, and yes, it did taste like my childhood memories of Golden Skillet.

So anyway, thanks for that pointer!

[the506]

Here's an even bigger pointer: an early Mary Browns location in Mount Pearl, Newfoundland, complete with what may be a vintage Golden Skillet-era frying pan sign.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@47.5188527, ... ?entry=ttu

[Groceteria]

Here's an even bigger pointer: an early Mary Browns location in Mount Pearl, Newfoundland, complete with what may be a vintage Golden Skillet-era frying pan sign.

That is incredible. Thanks!

[jleyerle]

I wonder, though if that was an earlier KFC/Scott's Chicken Villa (from the building size/shape) and only got the skillet to replace the weathervane.

[Groceteria]

The building shape and roofline are pretty quintessentially Golden Skillet, and the Canadian franchisee was originally based in Newfoundland so I'm guessing it's purpose-built. But I can't swear to that, obviously.

For example: https://www.flickr.com/photos/retroweb/31356112074/