Who Owns KFC?

KFC was founded in 1952 by Colonel Harland Sanders, an entrepreneur who developed his famous "Secret Recipe" of 11 herbs and spices. This founding vision demonstrated exceptional insight into the growing demand for food service restaurants solutions while establishing a distinctive approach that would define the food service restaurants category for generations. Sanders began his restaurant career in the 1930s, operating Sanders Court & Café in Corbin, Kentucky, where he served fried chicken to travelers. This strategic positioning demonstrated KFC's exceptional ability to create differentiated food service restaurants solutions while maintaining consistent brand positioning and quality standards that would define the brand for decades. He developed his pressure-frying technique and secret recipe during this period, which became the foundation for KFC's success.

In 1952, Sanders franchised his chicken recipe, and the first KFC franchise opened in Salt Lake City, Utah. This period of excellence demonstrated KFC's exceptional ability to scale operations while maintaining consistent brand positioning and quality standards across multiple food service restaurants segments. The brand expanded rapidly throughout the 1960s and 1970s, becoming one of the largest fast food chains in the United States. This strategic diversification demonstrated KFC's exceptional ability to serve multiple consumer segments while maintaining its core brand identity and market leadership in the food service restaurants industry. In 1964, Sanders sold KFC to investors led by John Y. Brown Jr. for $2 million, though he remained the brand's iconic spokesperson.

PepsiCo acquired KFC in 1986 for $850 million, adding it to its growing restaurant portfolio alongside Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. This continued evolution demonstrated KFC's exceptional ability to maintain market relevance while adapting to changing food service restaurants requirements and corporate dynamics. In 1997, PepsiCo spun off its restaurant division into Tricon Global Restaurants, which was later renamed Yum! Brands in 2002. This continued excellence demonstrates KFC's exceptional ability to maintain market leadership while adapting to changing food service restaurants dynamics and regulatory requirements. This strategic integration demonstrated KFC's exceptional ability to integrate into larger food service restaurants corporations while maintaining its core brand identity and cultural significance in the restaurant industry. KFC has continued to expand globally under Yum! Brands ownership, becoming the world's largest fried chicken chain with operations in over 145 countries. In December 2024, KFC opened its first test locations of Saucy by KFC, a flavor-forward dining concept for chicken tender lovers. Scott Mezvinsky was promoted to KFC Division CEO effective March 1, 2025. In Q1 2025, Yum! Brands reported worldwide system sales growth of 5%.