| Type: | Privately held company |
| Foundation: | in Belleville, Ontario |
| Location: | Kingston, Ontario, Canada |
| Industry: | Fast food (Fried Chicken) |
| Products: | Fish & Chips Fried Chicken |
| Homepage: | dixieleefriedchicken.com |
Dixie Lee is a regional franchised fried chicken fast-food restaurant founded in Belleville, Ontario in 1964 by Ramon Leon and Douglas Walmsley.[1] The company is currently based in Kingston and Bruce Mines, Ontario. Its largest group of franchise operators is Dixie Lee Maritimes, a New Brunswick-based company with 38 locations in three provinces. The parent organization is the direct franchisor of ten restaurants in various Ontario locations.
The first Dixie Lee restaurant opened in 1964 in Belleville, Ontario.
The first Dixie Lee restaurant in New Brunswick opened its door in Caraquet, as a small take-out restaurant just past the wharf.. Following a fire during a winter storm, the restaurant changed locations locally, moving again to a bigger building in the mid-1990s. Other restaurants opened in Grande-Anse, Shippagan, Tracadie-Sheila (one of the first to include a drive-thru option) and then in Lamèque.
In 1974, Alton Scott, built and operated a U.S. location in Houlton, Maine[2] which went bankrupt in 1981.[3] A location franchised in Ogdensburg, New York that opened in 1969 was sold in 2012.[4]
By 1975, the chain claimed "over 101 fried chicken and seafood takeout stores in the U.S. and Canada" and was actively recruiting new franchisees through a U.S. office in Massena, New York.[5] Many of these locations were existing restaurants under local branding who carried Dixie Lee chicken as a sideline.[6]
David Silvester started in the business in 1970 as an owner/operator of a single Dixie Lee outlet in Castlegar, British Columbia. He then acquired a Dixie Lee area franchise for British Columbia where he opened and sold 17 franchises. After developing British Columbia, he bought the Dixie Lee franchise parent company in 1979. Silvester moved to Dixie Lee's Head Office in Belleville. He was responsible for developing Dixie Lee from eight outlets in Ontario to more than 50 by 1987;[7] he sold the company in January 2006.[8]
In 2006, the chain claimed to be the fourth largest chicken franchise company in Canada with sales in excess of $55 million per year from over 77 restaurants in operation in Canada and the United States.[7] Dixie Lee restaurants were located in Ontario (25 outlets), New Brunswick, British Columbia, Alberta, and Quebec.[7]
In 2006, Joe Murano assumed the management of the company as a president. His previous franchise experience is with Kingston local chains Bandito Video (now defunct) and Papa Pete's pizza.[9] The corporate head office was located in Napanee, Ontario and the company listed by OTC Markets Group as over-the-counter stock Dixie Lee International Industries, Inc (Pink Sheets: DLII).[10]
In April 2020, the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Dixie Lee corporate headquarters sought to help those considered essential workers. Through a phone line, the general public could donate a hero meal served by its franchises.[11]
One branch opened in Dubai, United Arab Emirates in 2008[12] but is now closed. A Kyiv, Ukraine location operated briefly in 2008 with plans to establish five restaurants in that country.[13]
Expansion to Manchester, UK was also attempted; the chain predicted locations in China and India would be in operation by the end of 2008.[14]
In 2012, an expansion was attempted into Jamaica.[15] Malaysia and Sri Lanka were also targets for Dixie Lee franchises.
Dixie Lee restaurants serve fish and chips, fried chicken, nuggets and other side items such as cole slaw, French fries, wings, wraps and soft drinks. According to its website, fried products are prepared with trans-fat free oils.
The company's website states that its chicken products may contain trace amount of MSG and that other products may contain allergens and ingredients that may cause sensitivity to some persons.