8. Kenny Rogers Roasters: A Healthier Fast Food Dream

Country music superstar Kenny Rogers teamed up with former Kentucky Fried Chicken CEO John Y. Brown Jr. in 1991 to launch a new kind of chicken chain. Promising food with less fat and less salt, Kenny Rogers Roasters focused on wood-fired rotisserie chicken accompanied by homestyle sides like macaroni and cheese, corn muffins, and baked apples.

The chain expanded rapidly to over 350 locations and cemented its place in 1990s pop culture when it was prominently featured in a hilarious 1996 episode of Seinfeld. Despite the celebrity backing, the company struggled with aggressive competition from Boston Market and filed for bankruptcy in 1998.

The final U.S. location, situated in a California mall, closed in 2011. Surprisingly, the brand was purchased by the Berjaya Corporation and remains a massive success across Asia today.