Staffing

Cowboy Chicken urges Parkinson's disease donations after founder's death

An archival photo of "Cowboy Phil" Sanders, who founded the chain and died last month at 85. (Photo provided)

October 21, 2020

Philip "Cowboy Phil" Sanders, founder of Dallas-based, Cowboy Chicken, died Sept. 12 at the age of 85 following his battle with Parkinson's disease. Sanders and his wife, Jeanette, founded the popular fast casual wood-fired rotisserie chicken chain in 1981 with the motto, "The customer is always right."

"Our dear friend and founder Phil Sanders was truly a special person, always kind and happy to see you," Cowboy Chicken President and CEO Sean Kennedy said in the press release. "There will never be a better brand ambassador than Cowboy Phil. He was a friend and mentor to many of us in the Cowboy Chicken family, and we will miss him every day."

Sanders was born in Brooklyn, New York, served in the U.S. Army and ran a textile company before opening the first Cowboy Chicken restaurant 39 years ago. The chain now has 17 locations in four states.

Cowboy Chicken has invited customers to submit memories and photos of Sanders to a memorial page on its website, as well as honoring his memory with a donation to the Michael J. Fox Foundation to further Parkinson's disease research.