Franchise Land Stories: The KFC Story

Have you ever wondered what happens to the most seductive KFC chicken when it tempts us to begin thinking about our next trip? In Kentucky, you may find the earliest prototypes of the most well-known American chicken chain in the world, which date to the Great Depression.

Origin and Evolution:

Colonel Harland Sanders, a businessman who formed the “Kentucky Fried Chicken” Corporation with its headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky, began the endeavour by selling fried chicken out of his roadside diner in Corbin, Kentucky. The first KFC franchise opened in Utah in 1952 as a result of his later motivation to franchise restaurants.

While bringing severe competition to the fast food industry, KFC helped the industry diversify and made chicken the preferred product above hamburger and other well-known items. Under the brand name “Colonel Sanders,” Harland rose to fame, and the first chicken restaurant chain started to succeed. Sanders was compelled to sell the company in 1964 to a group of bankers that included John Y. Brown Jr. and Jack C. Massey due to his advancing years and the expanding chain. However, because of its popularity, his image is still often used in advertising.

Following the transmission, international expansions started, and in the 1960s, stores were opened in Jamaica, Mexico, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Canada. In addition to attaining global appeal, it struggled in the subsequent decades of the 1970s and 1980s to establish itself in the new locales and achieve acceptance. Heubliein, a wholesaler of alcoholic beverages, purchased the franchise from Sanders. Yum! Brands presently leads the firm after a series of changes when it was eventually taken over by the R.J. Reynolds food and cigarette empire.

Key Ingredients:

KFC began its journey with its distinctive pressure-fried chicken pieces that were seasoned with Sanders’ recipe of 11 herbs and spices. The ingredients of the recipe are considered a trade secret. Customers have come to love the franchise chain’s distinctive meal of fried chicken served in cardboard buckets, but it also offers a variety of other delectable dishes. To reduce the initial 35-minute cooking time for the fried chicken in an iron skillet, Sanders had to think outside the box. Deep frying the chicken would have reduced its quality, something he found unacceptable, therefore he was hesitant to do it. Shortly after the first pressure cooker hit the market in 1939, Sanders transformed it into a pressure fryer and used it to cook poultry. This resulted in a reduction in manufacturing time without compromising the quality of the pan-fried chicken.

Fried chicken, which is currently the company’s main offering, is made according to Colonel Harland Sanders’ original recipe, which calls for 11 herbs and spices. The item is marketed globally and mostly falls under the following categories:

• Two to three pieces per individual meal, or six to sixteen pieces of chicken per family-size cardboard pail.
• Sandwiches with chicken, including the Zinger and the Tower, and wraps (“Twisters” and “Boxmasters”)
• A range of finger snacks, including crispy chicken strips and spicy wings.
• Popcorn chicken is made comprised of little bits of fried chicken.

Other products:

The franchisee has made a name for itself as a place to go for a variety of appetisers, in addition to specialising on chicken, such as French fries, coleslaw, barbeque baked beans, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, bread rolls, and American biscuits. Garden salad, bean salad, and Caesar salad are a few of the favourites.

KFC Franchise in India

The KFC Corporation (KFCLLC), a chain, operates fast food outlets that specialise in fried chicken solely.

To run a KFC franchisee in India, the necessary licences are granted:

The “KFC” and “Kentucky Fried Chicken” marks are among the trademarks, trade names, service marks, logos, and commercial symbols that the franchisor occasionally grants permission to use.
Only the KFC outlet franchise pricing in India in 2020 may be used by the franchisee in combination with the distinctive business formats, procedures, layouts, standards, and requirements.

Outreach:

After Colonel Sanders sold the company, advertising significantly contributed to the reach expansion. Catchphrases like “North America’s Hospitality Dish,” “We fix Sunday supper seven nights a week,” and “finger lickin’ excellent” became well known in numerous different countries. The first advertising firm, Leo Burnett, was enlisted to manage the campaigns. To everyone’s joy, Barry Manilow sang in one of Brunett’s commercials with the tagline “Get a bucket of chicken, have a barrel of fun.”

In 2020, KFC unveiled the first KFConsole, a revolutionary game console with a “Chicken Chamber” to keep food warm.

Since the days of Colonel Sanders, KFC has been the go-to restaurant for those seeking the greatest fried chicken and an unforgettable experience.