Long John Silver’s began in 1969 when the first restaurant opened in Lexington, Kentucky.
The chain was created by Jerrico Inc., a restaurant company associated with the successful Long John Silver’s seafood concept. Its name came from Long John Silver, the fictional pirate in Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel Treasure Island.
The restaurant specialized in quick-service seafood, especially battered fish and other fried items. That focus distinguished it from hamburger and chicken chains and helped establish a recognizable seafood category within American fast food.
Long John Silver’s history is sometimes mixed up with Captain D’s, another seafood chain that also expanded in the United States. They are separate brands with different origins. The Lexington opening is the landmark connected specifically with Long John Silver’s.