In which country did KFC open its first restaurant outside North America?

KFC opened its first restaurant outside North America in the United Kingdom.

The company’s international expansion began after its early growth in the United States and Canada. The first British KFC opened in Preston, Lancashire, in 1965, establishing the brand in a market where fried chicken was not yet a dominant national fast-food category.

The United Kingdom became an important early overseas market for KFC. As the chain expanded, it adapted menus and operations to local regulations, suppliers, and customer preferences while retaining its recognizable fried-chicken identity.

A common mix-up is the date of KFC’s first restaurant outside the United States. Canada was the company’s first international market, with an outlet opening in Calgary in 1955. Because Canada is in North America, the first restaurant outside North America came later, in Britain.