From a shack to a chain: Here’s how KFC grew
2 min read
The world’s second-largest restaurant chain, KFC, was started by a budding entrepreneur and has a unique story to narrate with peaks and troughs.
Founded by Harland Sanders, KFC is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands.
The American fast-food restaurant chain blows its trumpet with outlets in nearly 150 countries. The success story of ‘Kentucky Fried Chicken’ traces back to the childhood days of its founder, Mr. Harland. Sanders left home at the age of 12 to financially support his destitute family. He tried his luck at various odd jobs but could not fit into it permanently. The only skill he possessed then was cooking. In 1930, he secured a job at a filling station. In his free time, he cooked dishes and served them in his storehouse, converted to a small eatery.
His steak and country ham recipe garnered a lot of attraction and praise. It became a hotspot for travelers. In 1936, Sanders went ahead to buy a larger place to accommodate the customers. A number of dishes were incorporated into the menu including the legendary ‘fried chicken’ recipe.
A year later, he further expanded the hotel. He was content with the success of his business and was always on the lookout for a new process of production and widening his customer base.
In 1940, he experimented with the fried chicken recipe and was successful in perfecting it with the ‘Original Recipe of 11 Herbs’. Sanders went on to sell his secret recipes to restaurateurs and alike. He faced a lot of rejections but never gave up. He had confidence in the uniqueness of his famous recipe. In 1952, the recipe was first franchised to Pete Harman in South Salt Lake, Utah. After 1952, there was no looking back for Mr. Harland.
By 1960, 200 restaurants were selling the popular fried chicken recipe. The number tripled to 600 in a span of 3 years. Stand-alone KFC stores were implemented and by 1967, KFC went to become the 6th largest restaurant chain in the US by sales volume. Thereafter, it hit a masterstroke by entering the markets of Canada and soon spread the business to 40 countries.
In 1991, the sales doubled and stood at ~$6.2 billion. Currently, KFC is the second-largest restaurant (fast-food) chain globally. Even after many upheavals, it has made its mark and continues to be a favorite pick of the youth.
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