Charlie Boghosian is the creator of the famous Chicken Charlie’s stand, which sells insanely popular street food at festivals and fairs throughout California.

Born in Syria, Boghosian moved to the San Diego area with his family when he was 11. He opened Chicken Charlie’s in 1996 with a partner, and became an independent operator in 2007.

While the top seller at Chicken Charlie’s remains the stand’s original item, broasted chicken, Boghosian and his family continue to enhance the menu with unapologetically grease-dripping favorites such as Zucchini Weenie, deep-fried s’mores, Kookie Cookie, White Castle sliders, and Krispy Kreme jelly donuts stuffed with chicken.

During a recent county fair, Chicken Charlie’s, now an 11-trailer operation, filled more than 40,000 orders.