Minnie Pearl's Chicken

This short-lived chain of restaurants appeared in 1966 and hoped to get an extra boost in popularity by attaching the name of country music legend Minnie Pearl to the effort. After a great start, the whole thing came unraveled when it was revealed the chain's earnings were based on uncollected franchise fees. The entire operation was out of business by the end of 1971. Minnie Pearl's had nine Cincinnati area locations: Anderson Township, Hamilton Avenue, Deer Park, Colerain, North Bend, Madison Road, Florence, and Covington. Some of the original buildings are still standing and occupied by other businesses. The Colerain location is now a Chinese Restaurant, Hamilton Avenue, a checking cashing place. Deer Park, on the other hand, is a bank. The Milford location is now a veterinarian's office. Florence is a cellphone store, and Covington is a Dixie Chili location.