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Zankou Chicken
	Tarna plate at Zankou Chicken
Company type	Private
Industry	Casual dining restaurant
Founded	1962; 62 years ago in Beirut, Lebanon
Founder	Vartkes Iskenderian
Headquarters	Vernon, California, U.S.
Number of locations	12
Area served	Los Angeles metropolitan area
Website	zankouchicken.com

Zankou Chicken is a small, family-owned chain of Armenian and Mediterranean fast casual restaurants located in the Los Angeles area. The restaurants are especially known for their spit-roasted chicken, shawarma, falafel, tahini, and a "secret" garlic sauce.^[1]

History

The first Zankou Chicken was opened in 1962 in the Bourj Hammoud neighborhood of Beirut, Lebanon, by Armenian Vartkes Iskenderian and his family.^[2]

The chain was established within the United States in 1983 by his son, Mardiros Iskenderian, after the family immigrated to Los Angeles, California. After considering opening a dry cleaning business or selling men's suits, Iskenderian recognized a lack of restaurants catering to the growing Middle Eastern immigrant population in Los Angeles.^[2] This included Armenian and Lebanese compatriots who fled Lebanon during the civil war.^[3]

The first restaurant in Los Angeles opened in an East Hollywood neighborhood called Little Armenia^[4] and is located at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Normandie Avenue. The restaurant is especially known for its thick, paste-like garlic sauce, created by Vartkes' wife, Markrid^[5]^[6] and widely imitated.^[7]

In 1991, the family agreed to divide the business when Mardiros wanted to open additional restaurants. The new restaurants would be owned by Mardiros, while the original Sunset and Normandie store would be owned by his parents and two sisters.^[2] Vartkes Iskenderian died in 1992.^[5]

Since opening, Zankou Chicken has expanded and includes the following locations in the greater Los Angeles area: East Hollywood, Hollywood, West Los Angeles, Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, Toluca Lake, Van Nuys, Montebello, Anaheim, Huntington Beach, and Santa Clarita.^[5]^[8] (The original location and Montebello locations are not listed on the website; Rita Iskenderian owns the website and doesn't include them.)^[5]

On January 14, 2003, after a heated argument, Zankou Chicken owner Mardiros Iskenderian shot and killed his sister, Dzovig Marjik, and his mother Margarit Iskenderian; he then killed himself in a double-murder suicide. Iskenderian was in the late stages of colon and brain cancer, which is believed to have had an effect on his mental faculties.^[2]^[9]^[10] The repercussions of this event, and the lasting division of the brand into two family factions, impeded the continuing growth of the business despite the restaurants' popularity.^[5] In the California Court of Appeal case Iskenderian v. Iskenderian,^[6] Mardiros Iskenderian's widow Rita unsuccessfully sought to attain sole control of the Zankou Chicken trademark.

In 2013, Zankou Chicken was one of the contributors for Green Armenia, which brings attention to environmental problems faced by the people of Armenia.^[11]

In popular culture

The restaurant was mentioned by Beck (rhyming "Zankou chicken" with "ripe for the pickin'") in his song "Debra", from the album Midnite Vultures.^[5]^[12]^[13]
Zankou Chicken inspired a fictional Palestinian chicken restaurant in Curb Your Enthusiasm, so good that "it could end the rift in the Middle East".^[14]^[15]
Zankou Chicken is a subject in Rob Delaney's book Mother. Wife. Sister.^[16]
Adam Richman of Man v. Food called Zankou Chicken a "can't miss".^[17]
The Zankou Chicken Murders were featured in the 32nd episode of "My Favorite Murder"^[18]
The music video for Childish Gambino's song "Sober" from his EP Kauai was filmed in the original Hollywood location.

References

^ Thompson, Elise. "Fast Food that Will Still Respect You in the Morning". LAist. Archived from the original on 2016-03-16. Retrieved 2016-04-21.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Arax, Mark (April 2008). "The Zankou Chicken Murders". Los Angeles Magazine. pp. 124–129, 202–206.
^ "Iconic Neighborhood Restaurants: East Hollywood & Little Armenia". KCET. 30 November 2015. Retrieved 2016-04-21.
^ "Neighborhood Project: Little Armenia". LAist. Jul 10, 2007. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Satzman, Darrell (March 18, 2010). "Zankou Chicken's tragic family rift impedes chain's growth". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-03-18.
^ ^a ^b Iskenderian v. Iskenderian, 144 Cal. App. 4th 1162 (2006)
^ Sakai, Shuji (February 9, 2011). "Zankou's Garlic Sauce Clone". OC Weekly. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
^ "Zankou Chicken | Roasted Chicken, Shawerma, Tarna, and our legendary Garlic Sauce". Zankou Chicken. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
^ "LA Examiner: January 12–18, 2003 Archives". Archived from the original on 2006-02-21.
^ Blankstein, Andrew; Michael Krikorian (January 16, 2003). "Restaurant Family's Tragedy: Cancer and stress may be why the operator of Zankou Chicken killed his sister and mother". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-03-18.
^ "Green Armenia Inaugural Event a Big Success". Asbarez.com. 14 August 2013. Retrieved 2016-04-21.
^ Deborah Picker, "Preppie Living Wage: Ménage À Garlic Paste", LA Weekly, December 23, 1999.
^ Janelle Brown, "Valet Parking? That's So 2000. In Los Angeles, Strip Mall Food Is Way Cool", The New York Times, August 20, 2003.
^ Ogilvie, Jessica P. "'Curb Your Enthusiasm' Gives Not Subtle Shout Out to Zankou Chicken". LAist. Archived from the original on 2016-04-07. Retrieved 2016-04-21.
^ Gold, Jonathan. "Palestinian Chicken Conflict: Only in Curb Your Enthusiasm or Is It Real?". L.A. Weekly. Retrieved 2016-04-21.
^ "Rob Delaney: Mother. Wife. Sister. Human. Warrior. Falcon. Yardstick. Turban. Cabbage". www.avclub.com. 4 November 2013. Retrieved 2016-04-21.
^ "Follow the locals for the best food on vacation". NY Daily News. Retrieved 2016-04-21.
^ "My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark – 32 – Just The 32 Of Us". Retrieved 2018-07-30.

External links

Zankou Chicken Official Site – 9 Locations: Anaheim, Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, Toluca Lake, Valencia, Van Nuys, West Hollywood, W. Los Angeles
Zankou Chicken Official Site – 3 Locations: Hollywood, Tarzana, Granada Hills