Golden Chick is ready to write its next chapter

The nearly 60-year-old growing Texas-based chain has a new brand campaign in a bid to stand out in an increasingly crowded chicken category. — NATION’S RESTAURANT NEWS

The Golden Chick headquarters is located in an unassuming building tucked off a moderately busy road in Richardson, Texas, just outside of Dallas. There is no gaudy signage or décor drawing attention to the hub of the chicken tenders’ chain that has been around since 1967. Aside from some branding elements and historical markers, things are pretty modest inside, as well.

After a full day spent at those headquarters with a dozen or so employees in departments from finance and franchise development to marketing and training, it’s clear that such humility is completely “on brand.”

Golden Chick was founded in San Marcos, Texas, in 1967, by husband-and-wife team Howard and Jacque Walker. Originally opened under the name “Golden Fried Chicken,” the company began franchising in 1972, driving some expansion across Central Texas. In 1982, the company was sold to a new ownership group and filed for bankruptcy not long after. Mark Parmerlee and his partners bought the business in 1989 when it had 63 units. They rebranded it as Golden Chick in 1993.

In 2015, Parmerlee brought Howard Terry on board as chief marketing officer after a stint at Raising Cane’s. Sitting in a conference room on a humid day in late May, Terry and Parmerlee go on about their brand — its history, what makes it different than all the other chicken chains, what has changed, what hasn’t. The word “family” comes up a lot in this conversation, particularly in reference to the chain’s franchisees and employees, many of whom have been with the company for years, if not decades. “I’ve held babies that are now second-generation franchisees,” Parmerlee said. “We view this as a for-profit co-op.”

“That’s one thing (Parmerlee’s) consistent ownership has given us. People trust us,” Terry added. “I’ve worked for a lot of companies, but those franchisees were not looked at as family.” Terry and Parmerlee often finish each other’s sentences, illustrating that they’ve long been on the same page. They’re quick to share stories from their 11 years together; Terry had to buy a large digital timer, for instance, to keep Parmerlee on schedule during meetings and conferences. “I have to keep him in check,” Terry joked. “He just wants to keep going. You can tell he loves what he does.” Now they have a new goal as well — to introduce the legacy brand to more consumers, particularly younger ones.

The next chapter
Thirty years after Parmerlee’s acquisition and Golden Chick is now ready to “write its next chapter.” To kickstart the new era, Golden Chick is launching a brand campaign called “Gimme That Golden,” featuring an ad spot showcasing younger consumers enjoying tenders and sauces in a variety of settings. Created by longtime partner The LOOMIS Agency, the spot leaves no detail out — a yellow Jeep with a “Gimme” personalized plate, sports fans cheering on their team with gold pompoms and confetti, a “GC” gold tooth gem, a modernized jingle that pulls elements from previous campaigns, created by Grammy Award-winning sound engineer Tre Nagella, and much more.

Those previous campaigns included a “man on the street”-type of spot shortly after Terry joined and, of course, the rebrand in 1993. But this time around is an inflection point, according to the team — an opportunity to stand out from a fast-growing crowd. To be sure, Golden Chick’s modernization work extends well beyond a catchy ad spot. The chain has upgraded some of its menu items, remodeled its restaurants, tightened operations and training, updated its tech stack, launched a new loyalty program, and bolstered its digital marketing budget. The Gimme That Golden campaign is a culmination of all that work throughout the past few years. The culmination only partly answers the “why now” question. The other part of that answer comes from the fact that chicken — and chicken tenders, specifically — is a high-demand category and Golden Chick wants to strike while the iron is hot. And really, at almost 60 years old, why not now?

“Our feeling is we’re not the biggest. There are mega brands we’re competing with, and our share of voice is a quarter of theirs,” Terry said. “So, we have to work that much harder. We have to make sure for every 10 Popeyes you see, you might only see one Golden Chick, but you remember it. We’re counting on our new messaging resonating more than the media weight.” Terry added that once it does resonate and people give Golden Chick a try, the food will (ideally) bring them back. “It’s a crowded category but the reason we’ve been successful all these years is the food. It always comes back to the food. Our flavor is the one unifying element we’re famous for,” Terry said. “We have a lot of lookalikes, but we stand out because of our fresh baked yeast rolls, more chicken choices, more side choices … Hand-breaded, marinated, unique flavor.” The breadth of the menu is no doubt a differentiator for Golden Chick. Tenders are the workhorse, as are the rolls. But the concept also sells roasted chicken, fried legs and thighs, wings, Southern fried catfish, sandwiches, salads, sides from fried okra and dirty rice to coleslaw and mashed potatoes, desserts (including a new, limited-time Apple Empanada), specialty beverages (including a new limited-time Dr. Pepper Cream Soda), and much more. “You can’t be everything to everybody, but we can be broad enough to appeal to a wider range of customers,” Terry said.

The menu is what he calls “the genesis” of the new ad campaign and it will be the driver of continued growth. Golden Chick had a record number of openings in 2025 and finished the year with just under 250 locations, marking a nearly 9% year-over-year increase, according to Technomic data. The team expects a similar pace in 2026. “You’d think we’d be content, but we’re not,” Parmerlee said. “We’re in a very crowded category and I’d rather be proactive than play catch up. We can’t stay the same. Our franchisees don’t want us to stay the same.”

“Our goal is to beat last year. That’s the whole game in the restaurant space,” Terry added. “Obviously you want long-term objectives and 5-year plans, and stuff like that, but how do you beat last year? That’s what makes franchisees happy and so that’s our goal.” How Golden Chick plans to “beat last year” isn’t just about unit count and sales growth, however. It is also about punching above its weight in terms of brand awareness. “This is a brand that people are going to look at in five years and go, ‘What’s this 1,000-unit chain?’ It’s what I like to call a 20-year overnight success — a really deliberate, thoughtful, purposeful, intentional action that creates a kind of success that people look at and go, ‘Wow, that came out of nowhere,’” Terry said. “But, no it didn’t. It’s the product of a lot of hard work over a lot of years.”

“This is a brand that people are going to look at in five years and go, ‘What’s this 1,000-unit chain?’ It’s what I like to call a 20-year overnight success — a really deliberate, thoughtful, purposeful, intentional action that creates a kind of success that people look at and go, ‘Wow, that came out of nowhere,’ but, no it didn’t. It’s the product of a lot of hard work over a lot of years.”
— Howard Terry, CMO, Golden Chick

CREDITS:

Golden Chick:

• Mark Parmerlee, Owner
• Howard Terry, CMO
• Sharon Pewitt, Director of Marketing
• Andrew Ross, Creative Director
• Shelby Shipley, Digital Marketing Director
• Madison Salazar, Marketing Coordinator

Production:

• Production Company: Quriosity
• Director: Cam Busby
• Executive Producer: Quadree Holmes
• Director of Photography: Sam Brave
• Producer: Cindy Fertitta
• Music Production: Tre Nagella, Luminous Sound
• Post House: The Reservoir
• Editor: Gigi Welch
• VFX: Joey Waldrip
• Motion Design: Tony Wann
• Colorist: Matt McClain
• Sound: Nick Patronella 
• Still Photographer: Danielle DeGrasse Alston Levi

Agency:

• Mike Sullivan, CEO/Partner
• Julie Ondrusek, Director of Client Services/Partner
• Tina Tackett, Executive Creative Director
• Kim Smith, Group Creative Director
• Eric Brule, Associate Creative Director
• Ricardo Rivera, Sr. Art Director
• Stephanie Miller, Group Account Director
• Kristoffer Lemons, Account Supervisor
• Avery Hill, Account Executive
• Aimee Bové, Director of Media
• Katie Ellis, Sr Media Marketing Specialist
• Paul Bromfield, Director of Project Management

LOOMIS is the country’s leading challenger brand advertising agency and a top Dallas advertising agency for digital, social, mobile and user experience. For more about challenger branding, advertising and marketing, leadership, culture and other inspirations that will drive your success, check out the agency’s “Voice of the Underdog” podcast, and read the BARK! blog.