The story of Colonel and the empire he created.

The story of Colonel and the empire he created.

KFC company, based in Louisville, Kentucky is one of the few brands in America that carries a precious history of success and innovation. It all started with an entrepreneur who created a widely known recipe, about 70 years ago, with a list of secret herbs and spices that he had engraved on the back of his kitchen door. This entrepreneur was Colonel Harland Sanders, who turned KFC into the chain of the world's most popular chicken restaurants, specializing in the same original recipe ® accompanied by very crunchy chicken ™, and the goat milk biscuits, you feel like home. There are over 21,000 KFC stores in more than 130 countries worldwide. And you know what? In every KFC kitchen there is a chef who is preparing delicious appetizer for the whole family at affordable prices.

SEPTEMBER 9, 1890 - 1919

The success story of the KFC can be said to begin respectively on September 9, 1890 in Henryville, Indiana, USA, the date that coincides with the birth of Harland Sanders, the eldest brother among the three brothers of this family of Anglo-Irish origin. After the death of his father, he was only 5 years old. The difficult economic situation forced her mother to work and keep her away from home for a long period. During these years Harold had to take care of his brothers while his mother taught him the art of cooking.

 

1920-1929

After military service he returns to the US. Harland Sanders did not attend university but instead decided to dedicate himself to another life. During these years he started doing various jobs such as steamship captain, firefighter, railway worker and various jobs in agriculture and livestock.

1930

Harland, now 40, moved to North Corbin in 1930, where he took control of a gas station which also had a small restaurant annexed to it, which he named Sanders Court & Caffe.

1935

This year Harland Sanders is honoured with the title of Colonel. This is one of the highest titles that the state of Kentucky has given to individuals who have contributed to various areas of entrepreneurship in this state.

1939 - 1940

Inspired by the invention of the pressure cooker, the Colonel began to study the invention of a special pressure fryer to fry chicken in his restaurant. It achieved a faster frying while preserving the taste and nutritional values of the chicken.

The Colonel began to devote himself in inventing a recipe that would make his chicken different from any other restaurant in the country. In the early 1940s it manages to combine the perfect mix of 11 different spices which give the chicken the international taste of KFC chicken. This recipe still remains a secret to this day and is stored at KFC headquarters in Louisville.

1952 - 1956

The success of his restaurant in this period made him spread his business idea even further. He travelled the country to persuade other restaurant owners to sell cooked chicken with his unique recipe.In 1952 he would make a deal with what in the following years would become the "franchise holder", Pete Harman. The new partner became his first collaborator. Their deal was done only through a handshake.
In 1956 he sold his Sanders Court & Caffe restaurant in North Corbin and formed the KFC - Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant chain.

1957

This year comes with a big innovation at KFC. Bucket's invention, the carton basket that enabled KFC food to be taken with you and be consumed at home or in other private or public environments, but at the same time as a concept which united people during the meal who already could share the chicken basket with each other.

1962

In 1962 Colonel Sanders could not refuse an offer to buy a chain of stores from a powerful group of investors by selling it for the figure of $ 2 million.

But unlike the others he makes a request to the new collaborator that he never be separated from the company he had created, thus becoming an icon and a leading witness of the company's image in the world.

1965

After opening more than 600 restaurants nationwide in 1965, the restaurant chain began to expand beyond the borders of the United States. Over the course of two years the first restaurants opened in Mexico, Jamaica and England.

1970

In 1970 the Colonel's chicken reaches as far as Japan where since that year it has become a tradition to consume KFC fried chicken at the sacred Christmas lunch.

1987

The year 1987 finds with another record the creation of Colonel Sanders. It is the first American and also international chain to open in China.

16 DECEMBER 1980

On this date in Louisville in the state of Kentucky Colonel Harland Sanders dies at the age of 90. His legacy lives on through the original Recipe he invented and the logo which represents the Colonel in all its versions over the years.

KFC is now present in over 135 countries worldwide,

with more than 22,000 restaurants.