Almost 50 years ago, the first Guthrie’s opened in Haleyville.The chicken finger chain will celebrate its 50th birthday Friday, July 31.
“We’re very blessed to have made it 50 years in the restaurant business,” said Joe Kelly Guthrie, franchising owner of Guthrie’s.
They will celebrate with a party at the Haleyville location, and Gov. Bentley is expected to attend, according to Guthrie.
Guthrie said there will also be giveaways at every location, and one person will win free food for one year at each location.
Guthrie said the chain has been a family business since it started.
Guthrie said his father, Hal Guthrie Sr. and mother, Melissa Guthrie started the business in 1965. Hal came up with the recipe for the breading of their chicken fingers in 1968. His brother Hal “Hud” Guthrie Jr. created the sauce when he was 10 years old.
“My dad came back later, basically immediately saw the sauce my brother had come up with, tasted it, and without trying any others, said, ‘That’s it,’” Guthrie said.
Guthrie said they used to have a full menu, ranging from hamburgers to fried chicken, however, it has been condensed over the years.
According to Guthrie, the restaurant expanded to Auburn after his brother, Chris Guthrie, came to the university in 1980. The first location was on Opelika Road.
"He talked my dad into coming down, and we leveraged basically everything we had to get that store open," Guthrie said.
Matthew Myers, director of operations for Guthrie’s, said he is excited for the future of the company.
“There’s so much more territory out there that we can reach,” Myers said. "We believe that we have the best product out there, and it's our job to extend it across the country.
Guthrie said he is excited to expand across the country.
“We’re in a pretty aggressive growth mode,” Guthrie said.
Myers said the Guthrie family is like family to him, and he has known them since he was approximately 13 years.
“It’s like home,” Myers said.
Guthrie said it is the world's first chicken finger restaurant.
Myers said Guthrie’s started the chicken finger industry.
“We’re in the chicken finger capital of the world right now, and it’s all because of Guthrie’s,” Myers said.
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