"Belly Festival", the history of KFC

Fast food has long become an integral part of the urban environment. It’s almost impossible to imagine life without the ability to quickly and inexpensively eat. Availability, cost, speed of serving and hearty dishes - the list of advantages of fast food can be continued endlessly. Crispy chicken from the famous Colonel is an excellent replacement for the usual hamburgers and fries .

The almost century-old history of the KFS brand begins in 1930, when Harland Davis Sanders buys a gas station in Kentucky and opens a small restaurant for travelers. The enterprise becomes so successful that the owner receives the rank of colonel from the state governor. It is impossible to imagine Sanders’s special image without a neat beard, mustache, thin-framed glasses and a white suit with a contrasting tie. The owner of the network never appeared in public in any other form for the next twenty years.

Ten years later, in 1940, fried chicken, seasoned with a mixture of herbs and spices developed by the colonel, was introduced to the menu. Sanders’ original recipe contains a secret ingredient that is carefully hidden to this day. It is believed that it is he who gives dishes a unique taste, and the secret is known only to two people.

In 1957, chicken began to be sold in basket-like buckets, which became symbols of the brand. Until now, the phrase “chicken basket” is strongly associated with FSC. The American manufacturer Crocs presented clogs in the form of pieces of fried chicken. The outsole of the shoe features the signature red and white bucket.

The popularity of the restaurant chain of the tireless Colonel Sanders allows the company to become the US leader in the number of fast food restaurants, but the founder himself loses interest in the business by 1960 and sells the company. It was during this period that the restaurant chain entered the global market. The rapid growth of outlets and an expanded menu have made KFS popular in many countries, including Japan, where fried chicken from the restaurant has become the main dish of the Christmas table. In a country where a minimal number of Christians live, Christmas has become a national FSC holiday. On the eve of the holiday, you can see huge queues at the entrance to the restaurant, and the number of orders is breaking records.

Oddly enough, the largest restaurant chain is not in the USA, the brand’s home country, but in China. In the land of the rising sun, KFS fried chicken is much more popular than hamburgers from McDonald’s, the brand’s main competitor.

KFS is a story of success, dedication to its work, a difficult journey from an ordinary gas station to a world-famous and popular restaurant chain. You can find the famous red and white sign almost anywhere on the planet, and the smiling face of Colonel Sanders is one of the most recognizable portraits.

It’s probably due to the secret ingredient that guarantees the original taste. Worth a try to find out!