Jahnke Road’s Golden Skillet among the last few from almost 200 locations

Stephanie Ganz at Richmond Magazine has the story of Richmond native Clifton William (“C.W.”) Guthrie Sr.’s Golden Skillet Fried Chicken chain:

When Thalhimers VP Newman Hamblet tasted Guthrie’s delectable fried chicken in 1963, he was such a fan that he added it to the menu at the store’s restaurant, the Richmond Room. Four years later, Thalhimers and Guthrie drew up a $70 million agreement to franchise the business, and in 1968 the first location opened its doors right here in Richmond.

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In 2021, the final remaining corporate store in Portsmouth, operated by Richard “Chicken Man” Oglesby for most of its 35-year run, shuttered. It was the last of Hampton Roads’ 45 Golden Skillet locations. Now, just a handful of independently owned Golden Skillets have endured, including stores on Jahnke Road, where the dining room feels like a time capsule of the past; Williamsburg Road in Sandston; and Washington Street in Petersburg.