Latest news with #HarlandSanders
Miami Herald
23-04-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Raising Cane's and Wingstop have bad news for KFC
When Kentucky Fried Chicken (YUM) - or KFC, as it's more often called - first opened its doors in 1952, it must have seemed like a dream to founder Colonel Harland Sanders, who started out selling his famous fried chicken at a roadside restaurant in Corbin, Kentucky. A key part of Sanders' plan was to offer folks something other than the all-dominant burger, and he clearly had something there. He refused many methods of preparing his chicken, including deep-frying, which he felt ruined the food. In the end, Sanders used a modified pressure cooker as a "pressure fryer" to create his masterpiece, and that's what kept his customers coming back for more. Don't miss the move: SIGN UP for TheStreet's FREE Daily newsletter Franchising was also crucial to KFC's success, and by 1963, 600 KFC restaurants had appeared all over America, making it the biggest chain in the United States (yes, at the time, even bigger than McDonald's). But Sanders may not have foreseen KFC becoming quite that big, or else he didn't want to have to handle it. In 1964, he sold it off to a group of investors, and it kept growing. Today, there are more than 40,000 KFC locations. Related: Taco Bell returns a favorite menu item after hiatus Despite KFC's legacy, it now has to compete in the market it originated. And while the demand for fried chicken and all the fixins' rages on, KFC has to contend with a new problem. In a great year for fast-food chicken brands, Wingstop in 2024 topped the list with a 41% boost in consumer spend. Raising Cane's was right behind it with 31%, according to Circana's The Definitive U.S. Restaurant Ranking. Circana thinks a big part of the boost can be attributed to key partnerships. In Raising Cane's case, it joined forces with Post Malone to design custom restaurants, attracting his massive fanbase and making them associate the brand with his rising star. Related: Wendy's menu puts a new spin on a popular favorite Wingstop forged its partnership with the NBA, acting as its official chicken partner. According to Circana, both brands "heavily overindex with Gen Z," which is - surprise - where big success can sometimes lie. While Wingstop and Raising Cane's thrived, however, KFC stumbled, with a 4% drop in consumer spending last year. KFC has tried a lot of the same strategies that have worked for other brands, such as its high-profile collaboration with Jack Harlow in 2022. And while it hasn't done another quite as big since, it's continued to partner with other personalities, such as art duo Yeye Weller for its holiday merch drop in 2024. KFC's efforts to lean into value meals with its Taste of KFC push in 2024 haven't drummed up business as hoped. These included several menu items for $5 each, such as an 8-piece nuggets with fries; a Famous Bowl with mashed potatoes, sweet corn, chicken nuggets, gravy, and cheese; a two-piece drum and thigh meal with mashed potatoes and a biscuit; and a three-piece chicken tenders box with fries. However, change is already in the works. In January, Yum Brands shifted Scott Mezvinsky, formerly Taco Bell's president of North America, into the CEO role at KFC. Mezvinsky is a 20-year veteran at Yum Brands. He also previously held the role of Taco Bell's Global Chief Strategy & Financial Officer. Related: Tariffs push key food brands into Chapter 11 bankruptcy The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why KFC Is Relocating To Texas And How It's Teaming Up With Pizza Hut
Known for its buckets of chicken seasoned with a proprietary spice blend, as well as its famously delicious coleslaw, KFC has been a part of Kentucky since the 1930s when The Colonel, Harland Sanders, opened the doors to his first restaurant in Corbin, Kentucky. Since then, the brand has spread around the globe, but its headquarters have remained in Kentucky -- until now. On February 18, 2025, Yum! Brands announced in a press release that it will be shifting its headquarters to Plano, Texas where it also houses its sister brand Pizza Hut. The company, which also owns Habit Burger & Grill and Taco Bell (both headquartered in Irvine, California), hopes that bringing together the pizza chain and the fast food chicken giant will spark collaboration between the two. "Ultimately, bringing more of our people together on a consistent basis will maximize our unrivaled culture and talent as a competitive advantage," said David Gibbs, Yum! Brands Chief Executive Officer. "I'm confident this is another important step in growing our iconic restaurant brands globally." At the same time, the company is having any remote-work employees relocate and start going into the office where they officially work. This will impact nearly 200 employees between the next six and 18 months. Read more: Ranking Fast Food Burgers From Worst To Best, According To Reddit When Yum! Brands was looking to boost sales at Pizza Hut as it was struggling to survive against competitors, the leadership team looked to its strategies with KFC in order to propel the brand back to success. Consumers had identified with the rich history of KFC, and Yum! Brands employed that same sort of play on nostalgia with Pizza Hut, bringing back customer favorites. Ultimately, the company also expanded on them as well, with options like a Detroit-style pizza, and plant-based options. It also more recently rolled out a hit to keep up with the "swicy" trend with its Hot Honey Pepperoni Pizza and brought together two of America's favorites with a Cheeseburger Melt. Additionally, in 2020 the two brands married their concepts with a fried chicken and pizza mashup. The KFC Popcorn Chicken Pizza brought together a gravy-slathered pizza with toppings of mozzarella, sweet corn, and popcorn chicken, which could be brought straight to your home using Pizza Hut Delivery. And, to further solidify the collaboration, the two brands also joined forces in a mobile game called Pizza Hut x KFC Popcorn Chicken, which encouraged teamwork to build and bake said pizza for a chance to win coupons to either of the chains. Want more food knowledge? Sign up to our free newsletter where we're helping thousands of foodies, like you, become culinary masters, one email at a time. Read the original article on Food Republic.
The Hill
18-02-2025
- Business
- The Hill
KFC is leaving its ancestral home as parent company moves its corporate office to Texas
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Fried Chicken is being uprooted from its ancestral home state in a shake up that will relocate its U.S. corporate office to Texas, the chain's parent company said Tuesday. The KFC chain — launched by Colonel Harland Sanders and his secret blend of 11 herbs and spices — will be based in Plano, Texas, and about 100 KFC corporate employees will be relocated in the next six months, said Yum Brands, which owns KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. Moving the corporate office from Louisville brought a swift response from the city's mayor. 'I am disappointed to learn that Yum Brands will move its KFC employees to Texas – especially since the brand was born here and is synonymous with Kentucky,' Mayor Craig Greenberg said in a statement. Yum said the move is part of its broader plans to designate two brand headquarters in the U.S. — in Plano and Irvine, California. KFC and Pizza Hut will be headquartered in Plano, while Taco Bell and Habit Burger & Grill will remain based in Irvine, it said. Yum added that 90 U.S.-based employees who have worked remotely will be asked to eventually relocate to the Plano or Irvine campuses, depending on their work. Yum and the KFC Foundation will maintain corporate offices in Louisville, the company said. 'I've asked to meet with the Yum CEO soon and am heartened Yum will retain its corporate headquarters and 560 employees here,' Greenberg said. 'I will work tirelessly with Yum's leadership to continue growing its presence in Louisville.' Employees being shifted will receive relocation and transition support, the company said. Yum said that designating two brand headquarters is meant to foster greater collaboration among its brands and employees. 'These changes position us for sustainable growth and will help us better serve our customers, employees, franchisees and shareholders,' Yum CEO David Gibbs said in a news release. Yum also announced it will provide a $1 million endowment to the University of Louisville's College of Business to fund Yum-sponsored scholarships. And the company said KFC will continue its brand presence in Louisville with the goal of building a first-of-its-kind flagship restaurant. KFC's ties to Kentucky run nearly a century deep. In 1930, at a service station in Corbin, Kentucky, Sanders began feeding travellers and spent the next nine years perfecting his blend of herbs and spices, as well as the basic cooking technique, KFC's website says. There are now over 24,000 KFC outlets in more than 145 countries and territories around the world, it said. And the goateed entrepreneur's likeness is known globally, having been stamped on KFC restaurant signs and chicken buckets.
Associated Press
18-02-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
KFC is leaving its ancestral home as parent company moves its corporate office to Texas
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Fried Chicken is being uprooted from its ancestral home state in a shake up that will relocate its U.S. corporate office to Texas, the chain's parent company said Tuesday. The KFC chain — launched by Colonel Harland Sanders and his secret blend of 11 herbs and spices — will be based in Plano, Texas, and about 100 KFC corporate employees will be relocated in the next six months, said Yum Brands, which owns KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. Moving the corporate office from Louisville brought a swift response from the city's mayor. 'I am disappointed to learn that Yum Brands will move its KFC employees to Texas – especially since the brand was born here and is synonymous with Kentucky,' Mayor Craig Greenberg said in a statement. Yum said the move is part of its broader plans to designate two brand headquarters in the U.S. — in Plano and Irvine, California. KFC and Pizza Hut will be headquartered in Plano, while Taco Bell and Habit Burger & Grill will remain based in Irvine, it said. Yum added that 90 U.S.-based employees who have worked remotely will be asked to eventually relocate to the Plano or Irvine campuses, depending on their work. Yum and the KFC Foundation will maintain corporate offices in Louisville, the company said. 'I've asked to meet with the Yum CEO soon and am heartened Yum will retain its corporate headquarters and 560 employees here,' Greenberg said. 'I will work tirelessly with Yum's leadership to continue growing its presence in Louisville.' Employees being shifted will receive relocation and transition support, the company said. Yum said that designating two brand headquarters is meant to foster greater collaboration among its brands and employees. 'These changes position us for sustainable growth and will help us better serve our customers, employees, franchisees and shareholders,' Yum CEO David Gibbs said in a news release. Yum also announced it will provide a $1 million endowment to the University of Louisville's College of Business to fund Yum-sponsored scholarships. And the company said KFC will continue its brand presence in Louisville with the goal of building a first-of-its-kind flagship restaurant. KFC's ties to Kentucky run nearly a century deep. In 1930, at a service station in Corbin, Kentucky, Sanders began feeding travellers and spent the next nine years perfecting his blend of herbs and spices, as well as the basic cooking technique, KFC's website says. There are now over 24,000 KFC outlets in more than 145 countries and territories around the world, it said. And the goateed entrepreneur's likeness is known globally, having been stamped on KFC restaurant signs and chicken buckets.
