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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MAY 06: In this photo illustration a bacon cheeseburger sandwich and fries are served at a Shake Shack restaurant on May 06, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. Despite beating analyst expectations with first-quarter earnings and revenues the company’s share price dropped as second-quarter guidance fell short of expectations. (Photo Illustration by Scott Olson/Getty Images) /

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Indiana: Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken

Don’t tell Indiana residents this, but Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken actually got its start in Ohio.

I know, that’s kind of hard to swallow, but there is a reason why this small chicken chain resonates so well in The Hoosier State. The man who started the chain was Lee Cummings, who grew up in Henryville, IN and was the creator of KFC’s “Secret Recipe.”

After selling KFC in 1962, he began to develop his own recipe, the “Famous Recipe,” and in 1966, he traveled to Lima, OH to open “Harold’s Take-Home” with partner Harold Omer. “Harold’s Take-Home” would later be known today as Lee’s Famous Chicken, and it became a staple in the Midwest.

With over 100 locations today, Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken is sure to still keep Indiana on the map, despite the fact that its headquarters now reside in Fort Walton Beach, FL, which kind of sucks because this Midwestern chain should still be headquartered in the Midwest, darn it.

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