KFC franchisee Pete Harman introduced the chain’s cardboard chicken bucket in 1957.
Harman operated one of the prominent early KFC restaurants in South Salt Lake, Utah. He became friends with Harland Sanders and, in 1952, became the first franchisee to sell Sanders’ chicken recipe under the Kentucky Fried Chicken concept.
In 1957, Harman bundled 14 pieces of chicken, five bread rolls, and a pint of gravy into a cardboard bucket and marketed it as a complete family meal. The packaging made fried chicken easier to carry home and helped turn KFC from a restaurant meal into a recognizable takeout product.
The bucket is sometimes attributed to Sanders because it became one of KFC’s most famous symbols. Sanders supplied the recipe and promoted franchising, but Harman introduced this particular packaging format. Harman also helped popularize the KFC name and the “It’s finger lickin’ good” slogan, making him a major figure in the chain’s early development.