Frenchy's Chicken
Frenchy's Chicken is a restaurant chain in Houston, Texas, selling Louisiana Creole cuisine.
[2] In 1969 Percy "Frenchy" Creuzot Jr., a New Orleans native who had traveled to Houston for sales work, and Sallie, his wife, established the restaurant.
Creuzot stated that a friend believed that potential customers would not know how to spell or pronounce it or find it in a phone book, so he suggested "Frenchy's Po-Boys" as a name.
[5] Initially Creuzot's restaurant sold red beans and rice, hot sausage, and oyster loaf.
An automobile dealer adjacent to the restaurant, Jesse Hearns, suggested and persuaded Creuzot into adding fried chicken into the menu.
[5] In order to compete with a Church's Chicken location across the street and less than one block away,[1][7] Creuzot made the closing time later, to 5 AM.
At that time there was one restaurant in Southwest Houston geared to younger, trendier adults and there was one near River Oaks.
Beginning in 1985 the company's revenues declined due to the 1980s oil bust; the fact that all company-owned restaurants were in Houston made it vulnerable to an economic downturn in the city.
On Thursday April 30, 1987, Frenchy's filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, affecting the company-owned locations only.
[10] In 1988 the Houston City Council approved a plan to loan $700,000 ($1803376.48 with inflation) in federal funds to the chain to assist it.
According to the terms of the agreement, Creuzot would have to have a value of property put up for collateral at the same amount as the loan, by the deadline, December 31, 1988.
[11] In a letter dated April 7, 1989 Marcotte informed Creuzot that Frenchy's did not fulfill the terms of the agreement.
[3] By 2009 the seventh Glennlock location opened in northwest Harris County along Farm to Market Road 1960.
[1] Frenchy's decided to sell land to Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church; this was the initial restaurant on 3919 Scott.
[1] At the beginning the restaurant sold red beans and rice, hot sausage, and oyster loaf.
[5] As of 2020 the locations include the original restaurant on Scott Street in the Third Ward; the following franchised restaurants in the City of Houston: S. Victory (Acres Homes), Almeda at Almeda Plaza, Atascocita, Barker Cypress, West and Veterans, Rankin Road, Wilcrest and Murphy and Richmond and Beltway 8 [20] The chain has recently announced a major outpost expansion across multiple Houston institutions, including Texas Southern University, Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, Jack Yates High School, and the University of Houston.
[21] In 2011 Minh T. Truong of the Houston Press wrote that the original restaurant received its charm from the quality of the food and from the "old and a little rundown" facility with a parking lot that only allows entry and exit in one direction, along the drive-through window.
In the third verse Ro sings, "I like Frenchy's red beans and rice and that slam jam hot sauce and fried chicken.
The same family that owns the original locations also operates the Frenchy's Sausage Co.[23] It was established in 1977, and it was given to Creuzot's son, Percy III.
