Who founded the Kentucky Fried Chicken chain?

The Kentucky Fried Chicken chain was founded by Colonel Harland Sanders.

Sanders began selling fried chicken from a roadside filling station and restaurant in North Corbin, Kentucky, during the Great Depression. He developed a secret blend of herbs and spices and adapted a pressure cooker into a pressure fryer, reducing cooking time while preserving the texture he wanted. In 1936, Kentucky's governor awarded him the honorary title of “Kentucky Colonel”; it was not a military rank.

The first Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise opened in South Salt Lake, Utah, in 1952, after Sanders licensed his recipe and method to restaurateur Pete Harman. Harman's operation helped establish the restaurant's recognizable branding and takeout model.

Sanders sold the corporation in 1964 to investors led by John Y. Brown Jr. and Jack C. Massey, but remained its highly visible brand ambassador. That is why “Colonel Sanders” can refer both to the founder and to the enduring KFC mascot.