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Story: Restaurants and food outlets

Homestead Chicken, 1973

Homestead Chicken, 1973

Homestead Chicken was a New Zealand-owned fast food chain which operated in the 1970s and 1980s. It was a local rival to the American franchise Kentucky Fried Chicken. The business environment was very competitive and local chains like Homestead found the going tough – it went into receivership in 1989 and all the outlets closed.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Dominion Post Collection (PA-Group-00685)

Reference: EP/1973/3746/26a

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Perrin Rowland, Restaurants and food outlets – Teenagers and family restaurants, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/39601/homestead-chicken-1973 (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Perrin Rowland, published 30 November 2012.

Comments

B J McCurley
02 January 2024
My Uncle worked here in Wellington it was the best chicken served with sides of crispy whole potatoes, bean salads, Coleslaw Peas Pumpkin and the Gravy was to die for made from the finnings of the cooked chicken, the dusted flavoured mushrooms and the best sweetbreads you could ever taste were to die for, the food was so much better than kfc and it is just an absolute she it closed down, I for one would support a re-boot with some of my own money to get it up and running again If I had the Millions needed to start it up I would go it alone, This was world world class
Garry Birmingham
12 August 2020
I often think about Homestead Chicken the people are correct in the previous stories, the Chicken and the potatoes were yummy and should think about starting up the franchise again we need more variety in takeaway chicken
Sandy
02 March 2018
I used to work at the Adelaide Road store in the 70’s when I was a student. Best chicken ever, and the sweetbreads and mushrooms were divine.
Robyn
20 October 2016
I used to work at homestead chicken in Wellington it was the best the potatoes and sweetbreads to die for. wish I had the recipe!!!
Ngaire Flynn
15 August 2016
Homestead Chicken was an Australian franchise that was bought to NZ by 2 Wellington businessmen, Tom Brow & Monty Adams. They sold the NZ franchise to Arthur Yates & Co in 1987.
Peter
14 June 2016
Team do you have any archive photos of the store in Bondi Beach Australia
Matt Pollock
03 June 2016
Been trying to find the "Homestead chicken" founder but unsuccessful. I think there is a bigger market now and people are missing homestead. If it came back I think it will out do KFC big time.....BRING BACK HOMESTEAD...BRING BACK THOSE DELICIOUS POTATOES
William Keeling
11 March 2016
Hey. Can any one remember about the history of another fast food restaurant that disappeared (in New Zealand), in the late 1970's or maybe even the early 1980's. I'm sure it was called 'Chicken Spot', and there was a restaurant on or near the corner of Great South road in Green-lane, Auckland. Opposite to the Countdown supermarket. I have searched the internet but can't find anything about them. As a young child I remembered that they did a 'kids meal' as well as a 'warm chicken roll' which I was fond of. This fast food outlet had a strange but simply logo, with the words 'Chicken Spot'. Would really like to know if there is anyone out there that can remember this place, or anything about what happened to it. Thanks, W.K.
Filiki
15 February 2015
In 1987, I visited New Zealand and had a chance to eat at Homestead. The chicken and potato were 100 times better than KFC chicken and fries. I hope somebody in the family will start up homestead again.