Charlie Boghosian

Chicken Charlie’s • Rancho Bernardo Village • San Diego, CA

If you’ve been to the state fair, you’ve probably nibbled on some fried delights that you can’t get enough of. One of those wonders, the deep fried Oreo hit the scene in 2001 and went viral. It was the brainchild of Charlie Boshosian, an Armenian immigrant (16 at the time) who had settled in the US with his family, and famously introduced this indulgent confection to thousands of fair-goers at the LA County Fair.

From early childhood, Charlie was at home in the kitchen, immersed in the rich and passionate tradition of his mother’s Armenian cooking. For fun, he would spend hours analyzing different food prep scenarios, determining food cost, labor, and other fixed expenses. He would calculate total cost, then price the dish with a profit margin. The kitchen was “his place.” When things got tough for this first generation foodie, he’d head there to clear his head. After high school, Charlie purchased a food trailer with a vendor partner and spent his summers selling fair food to work his way through college. Upon graduation, he nixed a planned career in government law enforcement and went “all in” on fried food. His business expanded rapidly, and before he knew it, he was traveling five months a year setting up shop along the coast of California and across America.

After many years of “crazy fair life” and unimaginable volumes of deep fried everything, Charlie was ready for a change. He and his wife were expecting a baby, and Charlie knew it was time to be closer to home. With food as his muse, a local eatery seemed the natural solution. While searching for the right site, he stumbled upon NewMark Merrill’s Rancho Bernardo Village — the perfect fit for his restaurant, Chicken Charlie’s Table. “These guys are truly professional,” said Charlie of the NewMark Merrill leasing and onsite management teams. “They worked efficiently and fairly to get me into a space that would set me up for success. It was clear when I first stepped on the property that NMC prioritizes the creation of an inviting shopping environment, so I knew it was a place where people would want to visit my restaurant.”

Charlie is eternally grateful for NewMark Merrill’s unwavering support, particularly during 2020. They were early adopters of quick-build outdoor seating options, which made all the difference in the world in maintaining revenue during this harrowing timeframe when restaurant operations shut down all around the world.

Affectionately known as “Chicken Charlie” or “The Man Who Fries Everything,” Charlie has become a formidable Southern California restauranteur with a cult following. He runs the business with his family – wife, two brothers, and other family members (including his NewMark Merrill “family”). Looking back on his journey, he reflects on what he’s built: “Cooking is an art. If you’re good at it and you love it, magical things can happen. I’m in it day and night and it’s so assuring that I can fully count on NewMark Merrill for the support I need.” Charlie still has a hand in the fair operations. Every year he masterminds a new fried concoction to be featured at the San Diego County Fair and nationwide. If you can eat it, Charlie can fry it.