35 Interesting Facts About KFC

The full form of KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) is all we know about KFC. Apart from the fact that we can have loads of buckets of the world’s tastiest chicken, there are more fun and interesting facts about the restaurant that we are yet to uncover. Let’s explore some interesting facts about KFC – the big brother of chicken:

GIF: buzzfeed.com

1. The Old man

The man you see on the KFC logo is Colonel Harland Sanders. He is a gas station owner, and he started the restaurant in his gas station. Well, people who went to the gas station even got fuelled their tummies with yummy chicken.

2. Where’s the secret formula?

There is a secret recipe to the KFC chicken, which is safely locked away in Kentucky to keep it away from intruders.

3. Eat your fingers off!

Remember the famous caption of KFC? Of course, you do. “Finger licking good,” but do you know what they got translated into Chinese? They translated it as “Eat your fingers off!!”

4. Old wine in a new bottle

The same recipe has been followed since 1940 to cook the chicken at KFC (except for the oil brand, which they have changed for a healthier one).

5. KFC and Obesity

KFC is fondly (or not!) called as ‘Kids Fattening center.’

6. KFC Hats! Buy and become a rockstar!

There is a guitarist by the name of Buckethead, who used to wear the KFC bucket on his head while giving performances. This is the thing that brought him immense fame. Maybe he felt to do justice to his name!
Image: Flickr

7. KFC and PepsiCo

Do you know who owns KFC now? Not the man on the logo buddies! But the famous PepsiCo Limited. In 1986, PepsiCo acquired the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant chain for $850 million.

8. You know them but can’t name them!

Even though the top authorities of KFC would never let you have the herb list that they use to cook KFC chicken, they once revealed that salt and pepper were two of the 11 ingredients, and the remaining were common herbs, which were found in almost every kitchen.

9. Yummy Japanese Christmas With KFC

Do you know what the Japanese go for at Christmas dinner? You guessed right. Yes, it’s KFC. Since KFC raised the slogan, ‘Kentucky for Christmas,’ in Japan, people have nearly started a tradition of having KFC chicken on Christmas.

10. KFC and its iconic bucket

Do you think that KFC started selling chicken in their world-famous buckets since it started? Absolutely not! They started the bucket tradition after 27 years after the opening of the restaurant.

11. ‘Colonel Sanders Who?’- The KFC Grandpa

Who can forget the elderly face that is smiling as if he is inviting us to his home for a delicious dinner? That is why the face of Colonel Sanders is considered the second most identifiable face in the world.

12. Veggies… Here You Go

KFC was first meant only for nonvegetarians. But after taking into consideration the fact that they should cater to every taste, they started vegetarian items in their restaurants. They even decorated veg items to look like nonveg items just for fun.

13. Fried chicken! No, It’s KFC chicken

Why did they abbreviate the ‘Kentucky Fried Chicken?’ Definitely not because it is easy to pronounce buddies! They started calling it KFC to make people ignore the fact that they are eating fried chicken as fried items tend to have more health hazards.

14. The first franchise

The first overseas KFC franchise was opened in England. You lucky English People!

15. A cosmopolitan brand

KFC operates in more than 80 different countries today.

16. Sanders Court and Cafe

KFC, originally called Sanders Court & Café, was founded by Colonel Harland Sanders in 1930 in Corbin, Kentucky.
Image: Flickr

17. The ‘Colonel’ title

Harland Sanders is not a military colonel. The title was a Kentucky honorary title.
Image: Flickr

18. First Franchise Location

The first KFC franchise opened in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1952.
Image: Flickr

19. Pressure Cooker Innovation

Colonel Sanders was one of the first to use pressure cookers for frying chicken, decreasing the cooking time significantly.
Image: Wallpaper Flare

20. KFC in Outer Space

In 2017, KFC sent a chicken sandwich into space.

21. First Bucket Meal

The first bucket meal in 1957 was called the “Bucket Meal,” containing 14 pieces of chicken, 5 bread rolls, and a pint of gravy.

22. KFC Game

KFC created a virtual reality game to train new employees.

23. Marinated Chicken

KFC chicken is marinated for at least 20 minutes before cooking.

24. The ‘Colonel Quality’ Check

Each piece of chicken is hand-inspected for quality.

25. On-the-spot Cooking

Unlike many fast-food chains, KFC cooks its chicken on the spot rather than using pre-cooked or frozen chicken.

26. Coleslaw Recipe Change

KFC changed its coleslaw recipe in 2014, decreasing the sugar content by 25% and the calories by 30%.

27. Limited Menu

When KFC first opened, they only had one menu item: Fried Chicken.

28. Attempted KFC Recipes

There have been over 1,000 documented attempts to recreate the KFC original recipe.

29. KFC’s Drive-through

The first drive-through KFC opened in 1970 in Oklahoma.

30. Sanders’ Second Business

Before KFC, Colonel Sanders operated a ferry boat company.

31. Spin-off from PepsiCo

PepsiCo spun off its restaurant division as Yum! Brands in 1997, which now owns KFC.

32. KFC in China

KFC is the most popular fast-food chain in China, not McDonald’s.

33. Colonel’ Actors

Since 2016, KFC has used a variety of actors to portray Colonel Sanders in its ads.

34. Green Beans Instead of Fries

In the UK, KFC serves green beans as a side instead of fries.

35. Highest and Lowest Grossing KFC

The highest grossing KFC is in Beijing, with average annual sales of $15.1 million. The lowest grossing KFC is in Cuba, with average annual sales of $300,000.