Restaurant Profile
KFC
“It's finger lickin' good.”
About
Harland Sanders began cooking chicken for hungry travelers at his service station and small restaurant in Corbin, Kentucky in the 1930s, developing what would become the Original Recipe — a blend of 11 herbs and spices pressure-fried in shortening. When Interstate 75 bypassed his restaurant in 1955, Sanders took to the road at age 65, selling franchises out of the trunk of his car. He franchised the first KFC location in 1952 with restaurateur Pete Harman in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Sanders sold Kentucky Fried Chicken to a group of investors for $2 million in 1964, though he remained the brand ambassador until his death in 1980. The chain grew rapidly through the 1960s and 70s, going public in 1966 and being acquired by Heublein Inc. in 1971. It eventually became part of PepsiCo in 1986 before spinning off as Tricon Global Restaurants (now Yum! Brands) in 1997 alongside Pizza Hut and Taco Bell.
KFC pioneered the fast-food concept of a full fried chicken meal, shaping the industry's take on family-style value dining. Today it remains one of the top three largest fast-food chains in the world by locations, with enormous presences in China, Southeast Asia, and Africa — often outperforming its US footprint.
Revenue history
| Year | Revenue |
|---|---|
| 2010 | $4.70B |
| 2015 | $4.70B |
| 2019 | $5.30B |
| 2022 | $5.70B |
| 2023 | $5.60B |
KFC system-wide sales (global). KFC is owned by Yum! Brands; figures represent all franchisee + company-operated restaurant sales.
Signature Items & Price History
Launch price and year, historical price milestones, and how the item's price growth compares to U.S. CPI inflation over the same period.
Original Recipe Chicken (per piece)
Bone-in chicken pressure-fried in Sanders' proprietary blend of 11 herbs and spices.
Historical prices
| Year | Price | vs. Prior |
|---|---|---|
| 1952 | $0.25 | — |
| 1970 | $0.35 | +40.00% over 18yrs |
| 1980 | $0.75 | +114.29% over 10yrs |
| 1990 | $1.05 | +40.00% over 10yrs |
| 2000 | $1.39 | +32.38% over 10yrs |
| 2010 | $1.79 | +28.78% over 10yrs |
| 2020 | $2.19 | +22.35% over 10yrs |
| 2025 | $2.59 | +18.26% over 5yrs |
Price growth vs. CPI inflation
Colonel Sanders guarded the 11-herb-and-spice recipe so fiercely that it remains one of the most protected trade secrets in the food industry. Prices shown are per individual piece (breast, thigh, wing, or drumstick).
Famous Bowl
Mashed potatoes, corn, crispy chicken, gravy, and shredded cheese in a single bowl.
Historical prices
| Year | Price | vs. Prior |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | $3.99 | — |
| 2010 | $4.99 | +25.06% over 4yrs |
| 2015 | $5.49 | +10.02% over 5yrs |
| 2020 | $6.99 | +27.32% over 5yrs |
| 2025 | $8.49 | +21.46% over 5yrs |
Price growth vs. CPI inflation
Launched in 2006, the Famous Bowl earned a viral moment when comedian Patton Oswalt delivered a now-legendary stand-up bit about it. Despite the ribbing, it became one of KFC's top-selling items.
Internal Links
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