By TomL
It’s a small world. I met the original Colonel Sanders. My father insured the second Kentucky Fried Chicken in florida. It was the Marant Family Dania Beach Florida. They also put in a warehouse that my dad insured for them. My sister and I went to high school with the Marrants, one girl and two boys. The oldest boy Richard owned the restaurant and Warehouse. Who would have guested how big it was going to get.
I like the buffet so I could pick out the chicken that I liked when I was looking at it. The chicken and the Cole Slaw was out of sight. I think they lost a little bit of money because of the dividing wall separating the incoming customer to the people eating. A couple would come in and one would order the cheapest thing on the menu and the other would order buffet. You know what happened then. If they tore down the wall inside the dining room it would eliminate most of that.
Back to the Colonel, I saw him many time and talked to him at the store in Dania Florida. He wore a white three peace suit, bow tie some times a string bow tie and was very friendly.
Recently I saw a guy calling himself the Colonel but he was a far cry from the original. I would run into the original Colonel Sanders in Dania Beach then it was just called Dania.
My wife and I went to Kentucky on business in the 80’s saw the house in Shelbieville and another on In Louisville both own by the same family and both served Chicken.
There was only one way to get to the beach going south was through Dania so they renamed it. The Kentucky Fried Chicken is still at the same location.
PS Same town same era Royal Castle was thriving. I miss it terribly! Birch beer in a frosted glass. Breakfast at 6 am. One person working the store if that guy did not show I don’t know what would happen. He never missed a day. I met the manager a Blue Ribbon Meats during that time he said Royal Castle ordered his best grade of hamburger meat. Does anyone out there miss Royal Castle?
tloury@att.net
