Maryland Fried Chicken: The Retrologist's Guide to Surviving Locations of 1960s chain

MFC declined from over 250 to around 30 -- and fans are still flocking to savor the 'broasted' recipe at neon-bedecked classic stores. Find them here.

I’ve had the good fortune of visiting a number of Maryland Fried Chicken locations, which have declined from around 250 in the 1970s to 29 by my rough reckoning today.

That’s soon to be 28.

With the news of the looming closure of the Winter Garden, Florida, location, I decided to take a look at what’s left of this chain.

After 57 years, Maryland Fried Chicken location in Winter Garden, Florida, is closing

The official list on the Maryland Fried Chicken website lists 26 locations. Of those, four appear to be closed. My research also turned up seven that are NOT listed on the site, including one that opened as late as 2010, so that brings us, very unofficially, to 29 locations still using the name/iconography and presumably, recipe. But all of this gets muddy when a chain is no longer really a chain in its original sense, when it’s a loose confederation of family restaurants.

The locations that have photos are ones I have visited.

From my count, there are 12 in Florida, 11 in Georgia, five in South Carolina and one in Michigan.

Please let me know if there are any more out there, or if you have any photos to share of defunct or repurposed ones.

Enjoy the tour!