KFC was founded by Colonel Harland Sanders. The chain grew from Sanders’s roadside restaurant and fried-chicken business in Kentucky into an international fast-food brand known for its pressure-fried chicken and secret blend of herbs and spices.
Harland Sanders was born in Indiana in 1890 and began serving chicken to travelers at a service station in North Corbin, Kentucky, in 1930. He developed a pressure-cooking method that reduced preparation time while keeping the chicken tender. The first Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise opened near Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1952, operated by Pete Harman.
Many people assume Sanders founded a modern restaurant chain in the usual corporate sense, but franchising was central to KFC’s growth. Sanders sold the company in 1964 to investors led by John Y. Brown Jr. and Jack C. Massey, while continuing to represent the brand. KFC is now owned by Yum! Brands.