The Old-School Chicken Finger Chain That Inspired Raising Cane's And Zaxby's - Tasting Table

"Guthrie's opened its first location in 1965, opening with a fairly standard menu of burgers and steak sandwiches, but switched to a chicken-only menu around 1982. This decision came years before restaurants like Raising Cane's and Zaxby's hit the scene, and is actually said to be the inspiration behind the two chains, as both founders worked at different Guthrie's locations prior to opening their respective restaurants (just one of the many things that Zaxby's and Raising Cane's have in common)."

"Hal Guthrie opened the first Guthrie's location in Haleyville, Alabama (contributing to the list of unique foods and drinks that originated in the state), and slowly expanded to five other locations through 1992. At the heart of the business was a focus on family, as it was Guthrie's mother and father who helped build the original A-frame drive-in restaurant and, eventually, Guthrie's own children who helped concoct the recipe for the now-famous dipping sauce."

Guthrie's began in 1965 in Haleyville, Alabama with a menu of burgers and steak sandwiches. The restaurant added chicken to the menu in 1978, and chicken products soon accounted for more than half of sales. Around 1982 the menu was narrowed to chicken-only items: chicken fingers, a chicken finger sandwich, French fries, Texas toast, and coleslaw. Family involvement shaped the business, with Hal Guthrie's parents helping build the original A-frame drive-in and his children helping create the dipping sauce. Guthrie's expanded to additional locations through 1992 and later inspired founders of Raising Cane's and Zaxby's.

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