Milestones

Below is a timeline of The KFC Story.

1939

Colonel Harland D. Sanders perfects the secret blend of 11 herbs and spices in Corbin, Kentucky.

1952

Pete Harman in Salt Lake City, Utah becomes the first Kentucky Fried Chicken franchisee.

1956

Colonel Sanders sells his Corbin, Kentucky restaurant and goes on the road to enlist more franchisees. He signs his first international franchisee in Canada.

1957

Kentucky Fried Chicken first sold in buckets.

1964

KFC sold to a group of investors including John Brown Jr. and Jack Massey for $2 million.

1969

KFC listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Colonel Sanders buys first 100 shares.

1971

Heublein Inc acquires KFC. KFC opens its first restaurant in New Zealand on 18th August in Royal Oak.

1976

An independent survey ranks the Colonel as the world's second most recognisable celebrity.

1980

Colonel Sanders dies at age 90.

1982

KFC becomes a subsidiary of RJ Reynolds Industries Inc after Reynolds acquires Heublein Inc.

1986

PepsiCo Inc acquires KFC from RJ Reynolds (now RJR Nabisco Inc) for $840 Million.

1987

KFC opens world’s first Western-style quick service restaurant in Beijing, China.

1989

PepsiCo Inc buys 50% of KFC NZ from Goodman Fielder Wattie to take ownership of 100%. KFC NZ introduces the first chicken burger to the menu.

1991

KFC NZ turnover exceeds $100 million for the first time.
A new logo is introduced to emphasise chicken variety, replacing ‘Kentucky Fried Chicken’ with ‘KFC’.

1992

KFC NZ introduces meals to the menu.

1994

KFC officially opens its 9,000th KFC restaurant in Shanghai, China.

1996

KFC brings back one of the world’s most recognised packages, the bucket of chicken.

1997

Restaurant Brands New Zealand Ltd acquires the New Zealand operations of KFC from PepsiCo Inc. Pepsi Co Inc forms Tricon Global Restaurants Inc. Tricon goes public.

1998

KFC introduces new Colonel logo in signage and packaging. KFC introduces a high-spirited, new animated Colonel advertising campaign. The incredibly popular Popcorn Chicken is reintroduced.

KFC restaurants now in 82 countries around the world.

2002

Tricon Global Restaurants Inc, the world's largest restaurant company, changes its corporate name to YUM! Brands Inc.

2004

KFC NZ begins the national transformation programme to refurbish KFC stores.

2005

KFC NZ introduces the “Can’t Beat That Taste” campaign.

2006

More than a billion of the Colonel's chicken dinners are served annually around the world.

2008

KFC updates Colonel Sanders for the first time, replacing his classic white, double-breasted suit with a red apron. The apron symbolises the home-style culinary heritage of the brand.

2009

KFC NZ introduces Krushers, KFC’s new frozen drink.

2010

KFC launches Double Down in the US and Canada. In the US more than 10 million are sold in the first month. In Canada it becomes the most successful new menu item of all time.

KFC NZ opens 4 new stores and refurbishes 8 existing stores. KFC Manurewa is the 53rd store to be refurbished.

2012

KFC NZ begins so good

KFC NZ launches a new burger range, featuring Colonel, BBQ Bacon and Hawaiian ranges.