Whatever Happened to Kenny Rogers Roasters?

Lauren Novak August 21, 12:04 pm

Kenny Rogers Roasters collage — Mario Casilli/TV Guide/courtesy Everett Collection

When Kenny Rogers Roasters first opened in the early 1990s, it seemed like the perfect recipe for success. The country music legend teamed up with former Kentucky Fried Chicken CEO John Y. Brown Jr. to create a healthier alternative to fried chicken, built around wood-fired rotisserie meals. It was an era of celebrity-focused restaurant chains, like Planet Hollywood (which was co-owned by Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone, among others) and Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville — so combining Rogers’ star power with the decade’s interest in lighter, lower-calorie foods felt like a slam dunk.

The first location launched in Coral Springs, Florida in 1991, and within just a few years, the chain had expanded rapidly across the United States and around the world. By the mid-’90s, Kenny Rogers Roasters had more than 350 restaurants, becoming a recognizable name in malls and shopping centers.

The restaurant was so ubiquitous, it even became the focus of a famous 1996 Seinfeld episode, where the residents of Jerry Seinfeld’s apartment building are alternately tortured and excited by a Kenny Rogers Roasters that opens on their block.

Despite its fast start, Kenny Rogers Roasters faced stiff competition from chains like Boston Market, which was expanding aggressively with a very similar concept. Even KFC introduced its own rotisserie line called Rotisserie Gold, making the market crowded.

Legal challenges also surfaced, including a lawsuit from a rival chain called Cluckers, but those disputes were eventually settled when Kenny Rogers Roasters purchased a stake in its competitor.

The bigger problem came from overexpansion and the difficulties of sustaining momentum. By 1998, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Nathan’s Famous purchased the brand the following year, but the number of U.S. restaurants continued to shrink. By the early 2000s, only about 90 locations remained, and in 2011 the very last U.S. Kenny Rogers Roasters, located in Ontario, California, closed its doors for good.

Can you still go to Kenny Rogers Roasters?

Although the brand faded away in the United States, it found a new beginning overseas. In 2008, the chain was acquired by Roasters Asia Pacific, part of Malaysia’s Berjaya Corporation. Under this new ownership, Kenny Rogers Roasters became especially popular in Malaysia and spread across Asia and the Middle East. Today, you can still find restaurants in countries like Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, India, the United Arab Emirates and more — so if you want to make a rotisserie chicken pilgrimage, you know where to go.

Did you ever eat at a Kenny Rogers Roasters? What do you miss most from the menu?