The history of Pickin' Chicken restaurants and their fleet of delivery Beetles in Toronto

Long before the Mimico waterfront was lined with residential towers, one of Toronto's earliest takeout and delivery-focused restaurants operated there under the catchy name Pickin' Chicken Bar-B-Q.

The business came about in 1953, decades before food-delivery apps became the norm, and operated at 319 Lake Shore Blvd. W., an address later renumbered to 2261 Lake Shore Blvd. W.

Owned by Saul and Jerry Goldberg, Pickin' Chicken served fried and roasted chicken, ribs, and sauces, and offered dine-in, takeout, and home delivery at a time when very few restaurants in the city did.

Photo: Facebook.

As its popularity skyrocketed, the brand grew beyond its single site to seven locations, including on Queen Street West, Roncesvalles, and Kingston Road.

During this time, the chain's delivery service became its most recognizable feature, as a fleet of Volkswagen Beetles painted in bright colours and marked with the restaurant's name and phone number transported piping hot chicken dinners to customers across Etobicoke and Toronto.

Photo: The Residence of Marina Del Rey.

Despite its popularity and quick expansion, the company went bankrupt 17 years after it was founded in 1970. Still, its original Mimic restaurant reopened without 'Bar-B-Q' in its name and continued on into the early 1980s before it closed to make way for a redevelopment along the waterfront.

Photo: Corinne Knight.

Over the years, the property changed hands multiple times, and even one developer put forward plans for a large, world-class hotel on the site, but those proposals were ultimately scrapped.

The property was then purchased by Camrost Corporation, which began the first phase of the Marina Del Rey Condos construction in 1986, which now stands at 2261 Lake Shore Blvd. W.

While the brand disappeared a few decades ago, its influence on Toronto's dining habits, especially when it came to convenient takeout and home delivery, is undeniable.