KFC Humble Beginning 🤔

KFC, or Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a global fast-food chain that specializes in fried chicken. It is one of the most recognized and beloved brands in the world, with more than 23,000 restaurants in over 140 countries. But few people know the story of how KFC started.

The story begins in the small town of Corbin, Kentucky, in the 1930s. Harland Sanders, a 40-year-old man, was running a small service station and motel, which were struggling to make ends meet. But Sanders had a secret weapon: his fried chicken recipe.

Sanders had been experimenting with different spices and cooking techniques for years, and he had finally perfected a recipe that he believed was the best fried chicken in the world. He cooked his chicken in a pressure cooker, which made it extra crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

Sanders had been selling his chicken to travelers passing through Corbin, but he realized that he could make more money if he opened a restaurant. So in 1937, he opened a small restaurant in the front of his motel, which he called Sanders Court & Cafe.

Sanders' restaurant was an instant success. People came from all over to taste his delicious fried chicken, and soon Sanders had to expand his restaurant to accommodate the growing crowds. He added more seating, hired more staff, and began to develop a reputation as a master of fried chicken.

But Sanders' success was short-lived. In 1952, the construction of a new interstate highway bypassed Corbin, and the flow of travelers that had kept his restaurant afloat dried up. Sanders was forced to sell his restaurant, and he was left with nothing.

But Sanders was not one to give up. He took his secret fried chicken recipe and began to travel around the country, selling it to other restaurants and diners. He called himself the "Kentucky Colonel," and he wore a white suit and black string tie to promote his chicken.

Sanders' fried chicken was a hit wherever he went, and he soon began to attract the attention of investors. In 1955, he signed a deal with two businessmen, Pete Harman and John Y. Brown, Jr., to open the first Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The first KFC restaurant was a success, and Harman and Brown began to open more locations across the country. They also helped to develop the KFC brand, which included the iconic red and white striped buckets that are still used today.

By the mid-1960s, KFC had become a global brand, with restaurants in Canada, the United Kingdom, and even Japan. Sanders himself had become a celebrity, appearing in commercials and advertisements for KFC and becoming a beloved figure around the world.

But as KFC grew, Sanders became increasingly unhappy with the direction of the company. He felt that the new owners were sacrificing the quality of his chicken recipe in the name of profits, and he began to speak out against the company.

In 1971, Sanders sold his share of KFC to the parent company, Heublein Inc., for $2 million. He remained a spokesman for the company, but he was no longer involved in its operations.

Sanders passed away in 1980, but his legacy lives on. KFC is still one of the most popular fast-food chains in the world, and Sanders' fried chicken recipe is still a closely guarded secret.

Today, KFC serves more than 12 million customers each day in over 140 countries. The company has expanded its menu to include a variety of other dishes, but it is still best known for its original recipe fried chicken.

The story of how KFC started is a testament to the power of perseverance and hard work. Harland Sanders was a man who refused