The Woman Running One Of The Most Popular Fast-Food Franchises In South Africa.

On: June 23, 2025

Chantal Sombonos-Van Tonder followed in her father’s footsteps and is the woman behind Chicken Licken, the world’s most successful non-American-owned fried chicken franchise.

George Sombonos, the founder of Chicken Licken, was born into the restaurant business. His father, a Greek immigrant, owned the Dairy Den in Ridgeway, Johannesburg.

It was there that Sombonos learned the ropes of the food industry. However, a series of trips to the United States in the early 1970s sparked the idea for what would become one of South Africa’s most iconic fast-food brands.

Every year, Sombonos’ strict father would hand him a plane ticket to America, telling him simply to go.

With little money and no car, he walked from one food outlet to the next, sampling everything from fried chicken to hamburgers, sometimes eating up to twenty pieces of chicken daily.

After three years of this culinary exploration, Sombonos discovered a fried chicken restaurant in Waco, Texas, in 1972.

The chicken was so good that he returned the next day, only to find it just as delicious. He asked the owner to sell him the recipe, but he was told it was a family secret.

Not one to give up easily, Sombonos took the man out for a wine-fueled dinner. The next morning, the owner agreed to sell the recipe for $5,000.

Sombonos only had $1,000, but it was enough. He took the recipe home to South Africa, mixed the spices in his bedroom, and secretly swapped them into the family restaurant’s kitchen. Customers noticed and loved the change.

After his father passed away in 1980, Sombonos took over and decided to rebrand. His first idea, Golden Fried Chicken, couldn’t be trademarked.

A waiter suggested “Chicken Licken,” inspired by a children’s book. Sombonos paid him R300 for the name and R75 to a graphic artist for the logo.

In 1981, the first Chicken Licken opened, and the brand was born, which quickly became a national favourite.

A New Era

Chicken licken CEO and Head of Marketing Chantal Sombonos-Van Tonder

Chantal Sombonos-Van Tonder began working at Chicken Licken in 2001, stepping into the business her father had built from the ground up.

From an early age, she was immersed in the company’s culture and operations, learning directly from her father, who prepared her for the day she would eventually take the lead.

“Chicken Licken has been a part of my life since I was in primary school, so being at the helm is very significant,” she said.

“Taking over the reins from my father, who poured his heart and soul into building this brand, comes with a great sense of responsibility.”

George Sombonos passed away in November 2016 after a battle with cancer. The company paid tribute to its late CEO, describing him as a tastemaker, a pioneer, and a man of unwavering integrity.

For Sombonos-Van Tonder, inheriting the business was more than just a career step; it was personal.

“I feel very fortunate to have grown up alongside Chicken Licken, learning firsthand from him how the business operates,” she said.

“It gave me immense respect for everything my father accomplished and the strong foundation he built.”

Her leadership style blends loyalty to the brand’s roots with an eye on innovation. “What is important to me is continuing that legacy of hard work and the core values my father instilled in the business.

“While we’re always looking towards the future and exploring new avenues for Chicken Licken, my primary focus is honouring his vision and the incredible brand he created.”

She added that Chicken Licken isn’t just a business for her; it’s a part of her life, and her passion runs just as deep as my father’s.

“He once told me that if you truly believe in something, you should be willing to die for it—and that’s a sentiment that resonates with me every day,” she said.

Top franchise in South Africa

George Sombonos, the founder of Chicken Licken.

Under Sombonos-Van Tonder, the Chicken Licken brand continues to grow strongly and remains one of South Africa’s most popular fast-food franchises.

Interestingly, in the early 2000s, Sombonos tried to launch Chicken Licken franchises in other countries, such as Zimbabwe and Nigeria, but this didn’t work out.

“Harare had four Chicken Licken outlets, which were doing extremely well; one of them was a top performer in the entire group until the country ran out of foreign exchange to pay for the ingredients,” said Sombonos in a 2013 interview with The Financial Mail.

“We opened five shops in Nigeria eight years ago, but they closed due to issues with the franchisee, who wanted to re-franchise to others at a lower rate and loosen quality control.”

Sombonos added that Nigeria had no steady electricity supply and that the cost of fuel to run the generators was a problem.

Despite retreating from other African countries, apart from Botswana, the move hasn’t hurt the franchise, which is growing in South Africa.

Consumer insights and data science firm Eighty20 conducted research on the country’s most popular franchises.

The results showed that “approximately 20 million people dine at a fast food outlet in South Africa in a month.”

90% of these 20 million individuals chose to eat at one of the top 10 fast food outlets. 16.3 million people have eaten from 5 fast food outlets, including Chicken Licken.

In 2013, Chicken Licken had 259 outlets, 247 in South Africa and 12 in Botswana, and sold more than 400,000 chickens and five million hot wings a month.

As of the end of 2024, Chicken Licken had 286 outlets, 274 in South Africa, with the number in Botswana unchanged.

Chicken Licken continues to grow and still offers opportunities to prospective franchisees in South Africa.

According to its website, choosing to franchise would require an investment of R4.8 million for an inline restaurant and around R6.8 million for a Fly-Thru.

Under Sombonos-Van Tonder’s leadership, Chicken Licken has flourished, racking up 133 Loeries, eight D&AD Pencils, seven consecutive ‘Brand of the Year’ titles, and a Bronze Cannes Lion.