Po' Folks (restaurant)

Po' Folks (later restyled as PoFolks) is an American family restaurant chain founded in 1975 in Anderson, South Carolina. Between 1982 and 1988, Po' Folks was operated by the fast food chain Krystal.

For the song by Bill Anderson, see Po' Folks (Bill Anderson song).

PoFolks
TypePrivate
IndustryCasual Dining Restaurants
Founded1975 (1975) in Anderson, South Carolina
FounderMalcom Hare
Headquarters
Panama City, Florida
,
United States
Number of locations
5
Area served
Florida
Ownerprivate (1975-82)
Krystal (1982-88)
Peter Sostheim (???–present)
Websitepofolks.com

History

Betty K Hare opened the first Po' Folks in 1975 in Anderson, South Carolina.[1][2]

The restaurant was named after the 1961 hit single by country music singer Bill Anderson.[3] Although Anderson initially planned to file a lawsuit against the chain for using the name, he later sold the rights to the chain and served as its spokesperson. He and Conway Twitty also acquired franchise rights to a location in Oklahoma City in 1983.[4][2] Anderson's country-music themed game show on TNN, Fandango, was sponsored by the restaurant.

Krystal acquired Po' Folks in 1982 and continued to expand it. By 1984, the chain had 102 restaurants in 17 states. Eric A. Holm (now with Golden Corral) was director of construction and accused of taking bribes for favorable construction deals.[5] Krystal later merged Po' Folks with DavCo, a division of the company that franchised Wendy's restaurants.[6]

In 1988, Po' Folks filed for bankruptcy.[7] As a result, the Po' Folks restaurants were sold, and the remaining assets continued to operate as DavCo.[6] Several franchises in the Atlanta, Georgia, area continued to operate as Folks Southern Kitchens until that chain closed in the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.[8] As of June 2023, there are five PoFolks locations remaining in Florida (in Callaway, Lynn Haven, Niceville, Pensacola and St. Petersburg), purchased after the corporation was liquidated in 1988.

Buddy Killen-Burt Reynolds Investment

In the 1980s, actor Burt Reynolds partnered with Killen Music Group owner Buddy Killen to invest in Po' Folks.[9] The failure of the chain, along with the failure of another restaurant chain Killen-Reynolds invested in, personally cost Reynolds a $20 million loss.[10]

References
  1. "Po' Folks: the new kids in town". The Ledger. Lakeland, Florida. October 20, 1983. Retrieved March 6, 2015 – via Google News.
  2. "2 Entertainers Get Franchise Rights, Will Build Po Folks Restaurant in City". The Oklahoman. July 3, 1983. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  3. Kingsbury, Paul, ed. (October 5, 1998). The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Oxford University Press. p. 13. ISBN 978-0195116717 – via Google Books.
  4. Anderson, Bill (May 1989). Whisperin' Bill: An Autobiography. Longstreet Press. p. 305. ISBN 978-0929264240 – via Google Books.
  5. "Reynolds will join Po' Folks". Kentucky New Era. Hopkinsville. March 27, 1984. Retrieved March 6, 2015 – via Google News.
  6. "DavCo Restaurants". Hoovers. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  7. "Index". Restaurant Business. 88 (1–3): 301. 1989. Retrieved May 29, 2019 – via Google Books.
  8. "Folks Southern Kitchen Files For Bankruptcy, Plans to Liquidate." ToNeTo Atlanta. 7 April 2020. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  9. Sangalang, Jennifer. "Burt Reynolds and his many ties to Florida". floridatoday.com. Florida Today. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  10. Zeman, Ned (November 5, 2015). "Burt Reynolds Isn't Broke, but He's Got a Few Regrets". vanityfair.com. Vanity Fair. Retrieved August 13, 2023.
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