The first Zankou Chicken opened in 1962 in the Bourj Hammoud neighborhood of Beirut, Lebanon, by Armenian Vartkes Iskenderian and his family.[2]
The chain was established within the United States in 1983 by his son, Mardiros Iskenderian, after the family immigrated to Los Angeles, California. After considering opening a dry cleaning business or selling men's suits, Iskenderian recognized a lack of restaurants catering to the growing Middle Eastern immigrant population in Los Angeles.[2] This included Armenian and Lebanese compatriots who fled Lebanon during the civil war.[3]
The first restaurant in Los Angeles opened in an East Hollywood neighborhood called Little Armenia[4] and is located at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Normandie Avenue. The restaurant is especially known for its thick, paste-like garlic sauce, created by Vartkes' wife, Markrid[5][6] and widely imitated.[7]
In 1991, the family agreed to divide the business when Mardiros wanted to open additional restaurants. The new restaurants would be owned by Mardiros, while the original Sunset and Normandie store would be owned by his parents and two sisters.[2] Vartkes Iskenderian died in 1992.[5]
On January 14, 2003, after a heated argument, Zankou Chicken owner Mardiros Iskenderian shot and killed his sister, Dzovig Marjik, and his mother Margarit Iskenderian; he then killed himself in a double-murder suicide. Iskenderian was in the late stages of colon and brain cancer, which is believed to have had an effect on his mental faculties.[2][9][10] The repercussions of this event, and the lasting division of the brand into two family factions, impeded the continuing growth of the business despite the restaurants' popularity.[5]
In the California Court of Appeal case Iskenderian v. Iskenderian,[6] Mardiros Iskenderian's widow Rita unsuccessfully sought to attain sole control of the Zankou Chicken trademark.
In 2013, Zankou Chicken was one of the contributors for Green Armenia, which brings attention to environmental problems faced by the people of Armenia.[11]
The restaurant was mentioned by Beck (rhyming "Zankou chicken" with "ripe for the pickin'") in his song "Debra", from the album Midnite Vultures.[5][12][13]
The music video for Childish Gambino's song "Sober" from his EP Kauai was filmed in the original Hollywood location.
A Zankou Chicken location is mentioned as a wayfinding point as part of driving directions given in the Saturday Night Live sketch "The Californians" (in "Stuart Has Cancer")
Zankou Chicken inspired a fictional Palestinian chicken restaurant in Curb Your Enthusiasm, so good that "it could end the rift in the Middle East".[14][15]
The Zankou Chicken Murders were featured in the 32nd episode of "My Favorite Murder"[19]
In the TV series Bosch (2016, Season 3, Episode 5, at 31 minutes), Detective Jerry Edgar offers a bag of food from Zankou Chicken to Harry Bosch, as a peace offering
In the 2009 Film Funny People Seth Rogen can be seen wearing a Zankou Chicken shirt
The Comedy Podcast Dungeons and Daddies made a referencial joke about a Kenku calling it a “Kankou Chicken”
In 2004, the California Institute of Technology ultimate frisbee team wore yellow Zankou shirts as their uniform in a college tournament.
In the TV series Upload (2023, Season 3, Episode 4), the two main protagonists are flown to San Francisco in a drone-operated delivery container for Zankou Chicken.
There is a Doughboys Podcast episode about Zankou Chicken with special guest Jason Mantzoukas.
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