Colonel Sanders: From Failure to Fast-Food Icon

Colonel Harland Sanders, the man behind the globally successful Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), was considered a failure for much of his life. Born on September 9, 1890, Sanders mastered a range of regional dishes by the age of seven, showing early culinary promise. However, his journey to success was fraught with difficulties.

In 1939, Sanders perfected his now-famous secret blend of 11 herbs and spices. That same year, he innovated a method of frying chicken using a pressure cooker, which significantly reduced cooking time while retaining the chicken's flavor and moisture. At the age of 40, Sanders moved to Corbin, Kentucky, where he ran a gas station. Unfortunately, the station burned down after a few years. Undeterred, Sanders rebuilt it and added a motel and a small restaurant.

The turning point came in 1956 when Sanders, facing the construction of a new interstate that would divert traffic away from his establishment, decided to sell his Corbin restaurant. Instead of giving up, he took his secret recipe on the road, enlisting new franchisees. By 1964, Sanders had franchised his chicken to 600 outlets across the United States and Canada, turning his modest venture into a burgeoning enterprise.

In 1964, Sanders sold his business to two Louisville businessmen, Jack Massey and John Young Brown, for $2 million. Although he no longer owned KFC, Sanders remained the brand's spokesman, and his image became a key part of its identity. Under Massey and Brown's leadership, KFC experienced explosive growth. The company went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 1966, and by 1970, KFC had expanded to 3,500 company-owned or franchised outlets.

Colonel Sanders passed away in 1980, but his legacy endured. In 1994, KFC responded to changing consumer preferences by adding non-fried chicken to its menus in the US and Australia. Sanders' pioneering efforts not only built a fast-food empire but also significantly increased the popularity of chicken as a mainstream American food. This surge in popularity led to a substantial increase in domestic chicken production and consumption.

Colonel Sanders' story is a testament to resilience and innovation. From a struggling entrepreneur to the face of a global brand, Sanders' journey exemplifies how perseverance and ingenuity can transform failure into monumental success. His legacy lives on in the continued popularity of KFC and the ubiquity of fried chicken in American cuisine.
Colonel Sanders: From Failure to Fast-Food Icon

KFC’s Colonel Sanders

KFC story began at the turn of last century, when a young boy, Harland Sanders, became an accomplished cook through ‘family necessity’. Born in 1890 in Henryville, Indiana, Sanders’ father died when he was young, leaving his mother working several jobs to provide for him and his two siblings.

He spent considerable years doing casual work and completing his service commitment as a wagoner in Cuba being awarded the Cuban Pacification Medal (Army). He was honorably discharged in February 1907.

Then, he got hired by the railway as a laborer. However, he got fired for fighting with a coworker. While he worked for the railway, he studied law--until he ruined his legal career by getting into another fight.

In 1930, Colonel Sanders purchased a service station, motel and café in Corbin, Kentucky, Kentucky.

And every Sunday night, Sanders would cook his family a delicious meal - country ham, steak and fried chicken. With travelers asking him for dining recommendations, Sanders realized the potential for extra earnings if he served hungry travelers his family’s dinner. Sanders served meals for travelers in the back of the service station at his own dining table, which seated six people. By 1937, the culinary skills of Sanders became well known and he built the Sanders Café, which seated 142 people.

Over the next ten years he tried different seasonings to flavor his chicken. In 1939, The Colonel perfected his Original Recipe chicken with his secret blend of 11 herbs and spices, pressure-cooked to seal in the finger lickin' goodness.

Sanders’ food became so well-known that Kentucky Governor Ruby Laffon gave Sanders the famed (but honorary) title of Colonel “in recognition of his contributions to the state’s cuisine.”

Business continued to boom as it was located along U.S. 25, the main north-south route through central Kentucky. He then sold the business when the town was bypassed by a highway Interstate 75.

He then travelled the United States by car, cooking chicken for restaurant owners and their employees. By the age of sixty-five the Colonel had 600 Kentucky Fried Chicken Franchise outlets dotted across the United States and Canada.

This as 1964, the year is which he sold the American business for $2 million, leading to another rags to riches story. At age 90, Sanders passed away from pneumonia. At that time, there were around 6,000 KFC locations in 48 countries.
KFC’s Colonel Sanders