We all loved Yogi Bear so much that we decided to cash in on his popularity during the 1950s. Celebrity restaurants were popular at the time, and Gene Broome set out to find the next big thing to bring to South Carolina. Broome reached an arrangement with Hanna-Barbera for the naming rights to the franchise.
The theme included Yogi’s big, smiling face plastered on a roadside neon sign, honey-flavored chicken, and picnic baskets. The original restaurant opened in Myrtle Beach and was an immediate success, with additional locations subsequently opening across the Carolinas.
Hardee’s arranged to purchase the chain from Broome and his partners for one million. Reportedly, Hardee’s primary interest was the intellectual property behind the honey-flavored infusion. As a result, future expansion began to falter, with locations closing, culminating in the second-to-last restaurant’s closure in the late 1990s.
The lone surviving Yogi Bear Honey Fried Chicken is still open at 514 S. Fifth Street in Hartsville, serving locals honey-fried chicken with a piece of South Carolina history.
Written By: John G. Clark Jr.