Chicken Manor Turns 60 on Valentine's Day

On February 14, 2013, Chicken Manor, 8043 Cleveland Ave. NE  in North Canton  will celebrate its 60th year serving quality food at family-friendly prices making them one of the oldest restaurants in Stark County. Independently-owned restaurants are a dying breed, but Chicken Manor has stood the test of time and remains stable despite significant competition in our area. “It always saddens me to see longtime local establishments go out of business, but we (Chicken Manor) have been able to hold our own through some of the most challenging of times” stated Dan Mastroianni, second generation owner. “I strive to keep true to my father’s premise of giving people a great meal at a reasonable price. A place where families can come and not break the bank. A place were seniors can come and fits into their budget. A place where people can feel like home.”

It was 1953 when Agostino “Augie” Mastroianni and Homer Zwick came together as partners to run the one-year-old Chicken Manor Restaurant which was located on what was then called State Route 8, the main road through Stark County to Cleveland and south.  The original restaurant was small seating nearly 150 people and served a limited menu of primarily chicken, fish and ham dishes. Fried chicken was their claim to fame because of the special breading that came from an old family recipe along with their cold slaw and their signature hot rice, or “hotsauce” as it’s called even now. They were also known then for the way they served their hearty dishes; the chicken on the bottom topped with French fries. In those days, going out to eat was a treat, not as common as it is today.

Zwick and Mastroianni decided to part ways within a year of their coming together and Mastroianni bought the restaurant. Over the years Chicken Manor grew in popularity. In 1977 Mastroianni  broke ground to expand the popular eatery. He relocated the kitchen to the middle of the complex and added a large dining room behind that doubling the seating capacity to over 325.  The new renovation opened on the anniversary of the first opening, Valentine’s Day in 1978. 

In 1978, Mastroianni’s youngest son, Dan, upon finishing college, came back to take over the family business. He and his father worked together for a few years while the elder Mastroianni moved into full retirement. Through his legacy and passion for the business, Dan has weathered several challenging times, always with his father’s dream in mind.

Today, Dan’s son, Gregory is involved with the business operation doing the books, payroll, etc. while seeking work outside of the restaurant. He has been blessed with several longtime employees the oldest being JoAnne Moriarty has worked at Chicken Manor for over 43 years and Debbie Flounders has been there for over 37 years. Unfortunately in 2011, Dwight Enold, who ran the kitchen for 55 years, retired in 2011 and passed away shortly afterward. The family continues to credit Enold with being an important part of Chicken Manor’s success. Many a local teen has started their work life at Chicken Manor and in fact, the restaurant boasts several marriages as a result of meeting there!

Chicken Manor is an icon in the North Canton, indeed, Stark County community. In a day when family-owned restaurants are becoming a thing of the past, and the landscape of restauranting has given way to big box establishments, Chicken Manor is holding its own.