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KFC

Quick Service Restaurants (QSR)Founded 1930
Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya
Company data updated: October 2026

Founders

Who Founded KFC?

Colonel Harland Sanders · Founded 1930 · HQ today: Plano, Texas, United States

Who founded KFC?

KFC was founded by Colonel Harland Sanders in 1930 in North Corbin, United States. It is now led by Scott Mezvinsky.

Founders
Colonel Harland Sanders
Founded
1930
Headquarters
Plano, Texas, United States
Number of founders
1
Current CEO
Scott Mezvinsky (since 2025)
Where was KFC founded?
KFC was founded in North Corbin, United States in 1930. wikidata.org
When was KFC founded?
KFC was founded in 1930.
Who started KFC?
KFC was founded by Colonel Harland Sanders.
How old is KFC?
KFC is 96 years old as of 2026.

Founding Story

Harland Sanders started selling meals to travelers at his service station in Corbin, Kentucky in 1930, later opening a café and motel. He refined a seasoning of 11 herbs and spices and began cooking chicken in pressure fryers to speed up service. In 1952 he licensed the recipe to Pete Harman in Salt Lake City, whose restaurant sold the first 'Kentucky Fried Chicken'. When Interstate 75 bypassed Corbin in the mid-1950s, Sanders sold the café and traveled the country signing franchise deals that paid him a small fee per chicken.

Colonel Harland Sanders

Background

Before KFC, Sanders worked a long string of jobs, including farmhand, railroad fireman, insurance salesman and tire salesman, before running a service station in Corbin, Kentucky.

Role at KFC

Harland Sanders (1890-1980) founded Kentucky Fried Chicken. He began serving meals at his Corbin, Kentucky service station in 1930, developed the Original Recipe seasoning and pressure-frying method, and started franchising in 1952 with Pete Harman in Salt Lake City. He sold the company in 1964 to John Y. Brown Jr. and Jack Massey for $2 million and remained its public face until his death in 1980. 'Colonel' was an honorary Kentucky title.

Education: La Salle Extension University. Colonel Harland Sanders was born in 1890.

KFC: CEO & Leadership History

Full timeline →

Scott Mezvinsky

Chief Executive Officer, KFC Division

2025 – Present

20-year Yum! veteran and former president of Taco Bell North America and International; became KFC CEO on March 1, 2025.

Sabir Sami

Chief Executive Officer, KFC Division (2022-2025)

2022 – 2025

Former KFC global COO and managing director of KFC Asia; led KFC past 30,000 restaurants before stepping down at the end of February 2025.

Richard Mayer

CEO

1980 – 1989

Served as CEO of KFC during its ownership under Heublein and RJR Nabisco in the 1980s, overseeing menu expansion and operational standardization across the global franchise network as the brand accelerated its international growth.

John Y. Brown Jr.

CEO

1964 – 1971

Purchased Kentucky Fried Chicken from Colonel Sanders for $2 million in 1964 alongside Jack Massey. Brown transformed KFC from a regional chain of 600 restaurants into a national franchise network of over 3,000 locations by 1971, proving the scalability of the quick-service restaurant franchise model.

Harland Sanders

Founder

1930 – 1964

Colonel Harland Sanders developed his Original Recipe of 11 herbs and spices at his roadside restaurant in Corbin, Kentucky in the 1930s and perfected the pressure-frying method that made KFC's chicken distinct. He began franchising the recipe in 1952 at age 62, personally driving from restaurant to restaurant to sign licensing deals before selling the company to John Y. Brown Jr. in 1964.

Keep researching KFC

Who Founded KFC? FAQ

Who was Colonel Harland Sanders and when did he start KFC?

Colonel Harland David Sanders (1890 to 1980) was the well-known American entrepreneur and founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken. He began cooking fried chicken for travelers in 1930 at his roadside service station in Corbin, Kentucky, during the height of the Great Depression.

Why was Harland Sanders given the honorary title of 'Colonel'?

Harland Sanders was commissioned as an honorary 'Kentucky Colonel' by Kentucky Governor Ruby Laffoon in 1935 in recognition of his contributions to the state's cuisine, a title he embraced by adopting his well-known white suit, black string tie, and goatee.

How did Colonel Sanders invent pressure-fried chicken?

In 1939, Colonel Sanders modified a commercial pressure cooker into a specialized pressure fryer. This allowed him to cook fresh seasoned chicken in under 15 minutes instead of 35 minutes in a pan, sealing in juices while achieving a crispy golden coating.

How did Colonel Sanders franchise KFC when the Interstate bypassed his restaurant?

After Interstate 75 bypassed Corbin in the mid-1950s, Sanders sold his café and, in his mid-60s, traveled to restaurants offering to license his recipe for a small fee per chicken sold.

Who was the very first KFC franchisee in history?

Pete Harman of Salt Lake City, Utah, became the first official KFC franchisee in August 1952. Harman coined the name 'Kentucky Fried Chicken' and pioneered the famous 14-piece chicken bucket packaging that became an industry standard.

Why did Colonel Sanders sell Kentucky Fried Chicken in 1964?

By 1964, KFC had grown to over 600 franchised locations, overwhelming the 73-year-old Sanders. He sold the company to John Y. Brown Jr. and Jack C. Massey for $2 million ($19+ million inflation-adjusted), retaining Canadian operations and a lifetime ambassador role.

What was Colonel Sanders' famous obsession with food quality?

Colonel Sanders was famously uncompromising about food quality. He made unannounced visits to franchise kitchens, and if he found the gravy too watery or the chicken improperly fried, he would loudly scold the franchise manager and throw the gravy on the floor.

What is Colonel Sanders' enduring legacy in global advertising?

Colonel Harland Sanders remains one of the most recognizable corporate figures and advertising mascots in human history, his likeness immortalized on billions of KFC buckets and restaurant signs across more than 145 countries.

Who founded KFC?

Colonel Harland Sanders is the legendary founder. His life was incredibly difficult; he was fired from dozens of jobs (lawyer, insurance salesman) and didn't successfully franchise his chicken until he was 62 years old, living off a $105 social security check. He traveled the country sleeping in his car, begging restaurant owners to taste his chicken and pay him a 4-cent royalty per piece sold.

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Content is for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Data sourced from SEC filings, annual reports, and public records. See our full disclaimer and methodology.