4. Minnie Pearl’s Chicken
The story of Minnie Pearl’s Chicken has become a cautionary tale for franchisees. In the 1960s, businessman John Jay Hooker teamed with country singer Pearl to launch a chain of restaurants bearing her name. Initially a success, there were nearly 500 locations at one point. However, the lack of a cohesive menu or recipes sabotaged the food, and the whole franchise fell apart within a few years.
