On June 15, 1972, Larry Rainosek opened the first Golden Fried Chicken at 5510 Central Ave. NW — a small restaurant tucked inside a motel near Yucca and Central. The kitchen had two 60-pound fryers and a staff of two. The menu was simple: fried chicken, French fries, dinner rolls, coleslaw, and soft drinks. Two pieces of chicken cost 49 cents.
That first month brought in $4,500 in sales. By October the store was climbing toward $7,500 a month. Something was clicking.
Around the same time, a young man named Eddie Montoya — a college dropout with no restaurant experience and, by his own description, a lot of hair — walked through the door. He would go on to shape the company for the next five decades.
The Green Chili Origin Story
Eddie was working at the Frontier Restaurant when he approached Larry about adding green chili to the menu. Larry was hesitant, but Eddie said, “Let me try it — if it doesn’t work, I’ll take the blame.” He bought 15 sacks of green chile, borrowed three BBQ grills, and spent a night roasting them with his roommate. When the dish hit the menu, it was an instant hit. Green chili has been central to everything Golden Pride does ever since.