The modern fast food industry is the result of companies that arose in the mid-1990s and early 2000s. Multinational companies like Pizza Hut and Burger King are famous around the globe, but KFC enjoys a following of its own.
Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is the second-largest food chain, with a presence in over 22,621 locations across 132 countries. The recipe that made KFC marketable and sought-after was a pressure-fried chicken blended with Sander’s 11 spices and recipes.
With more than $25 billion in sales, Colonel Sanders gave chicken lovers a tasty treat by starting KFC.
Founder’s Story: Colonel Sanders, the founder of KFC, will be remembered as one of the most outstanding business people and entrepreneurs. The logo and icon of the mega-brand, Colonel Sanders, had multiple occupations under his belt.
Before selling chicken from his roadside restaurant during the Great Depression, he ran a gas station, sold insurance, and worked on steam engines. He sold chicken pieces blended with a secret recipe he had prepared.
Every successful entrepreneur finds a thing or an idea that shows how they want to change the world. Colonel found his in chicken. He was paid $0.04 for a single piece of the hen. When his North Cabin restaurant had to be closed, he was left with little financial savings and $95 from Social Security.
He needed money badly, so he started to franchise his chicken idea and went all over the US looking for restaurants to open.
Talent can be recognized, and this was the case with Harland David Sanders. The tables had turned, and as they became enamored with his recipe, restaurant owners began to visit Sanders.
After spotting the capability in his recipe, he set up the primary KFC restaurant in South Salt Lake, Utah, in 1952. After the failure of his North Cabin restaurant, he worked hard to build and improve the KFC brand.
Face of KFC:— Sanders remained the face of KFC even after selling it. He traveled over 200,000 miles every year to promote KFC around the world. Sanders’ image was meant to demonstrate his determination and persistence and encourage customers to assimilate the same. He often visited KFC restaurants and used to taste the gravy.
Sanders used to proclaim that his self-made gravy was so good that one would throw away the damn chicken and eat the sauce. When he didn’t like the gravy at a KFC franchise, he would call it “God-damned slop.” The Colonel was a perfectionist and did not withstand compromise in quality.
In 1973, he stood up against the dip in food quality and sued the parent company, Hueblein Inc., which owned the KFC brand and sold items he had never developed. Hueblein Inc. unsuccessfully sued Sanders because he labeled the gravy “wallpaper.”
Life beyond KFC: The Colonel and his wife reopened their restaurant and began serving the original KFC-style chicken after becoming dissatisfied with how KFC was being managed. Claudia Sanders, The Colonel’s Lady, was the name given to the restaurant. Unfortunately, the couple was sued by the owners of KFC.
After settling, he sold the restaurant, which continues to operate. It is the only restaurant serving chicken prepared from KFC’s recipe. Colonel Sanders has appeared in several television commercials after his death. His appearance in DC comics and WWE commercials pays homage to his legacy.
Charity and Philanthropy: The Sanders Foundation has donated to various children’s hospitals in Canada. To honor the foundation’s substantial donation, the wing of Mississauga Hospital for women and children is named the Colonel Harland Sanders Family Care Centre.
An Inspiration:— Even after being fired from legal jobs and facing multiple setbacks, Colonel Sanders always learned from his mistakes and grew as an entrepreneur. He had to take up various occupations to sustain a livelihood.
Sanders had done everything from being an insurance salesman to filling up gas stations. After surviving the Great Depression, he founded a food chain that is an inseparable part of daily life. KFC is now part of every country’s food chain. Customer satisfaction is what drove Sanders to criticize KFC.
After nearly three decades of his death, his image remains on posters and magazines. He is undoubtedly one of the best entrepreneurs who strives for perfection in his products.
#KFC’s Rapid Expansion in the US: — When it comes to popular food chains, customers tend to frequent a restaurant if it offers quality food. Quality is a significant differentiator among restaurants. KFC’s finger-licking menu enabled it to expand rapidly through the United States.
Following KFC’s success, Sanders sold the business for $2 million to a group of investors under the direction of John Y. Brown Jr. and Jack C. Massey in 1964, while keeping control of operations in Canada.