KFC, a company associated with Kentucky, is leaving the state after the state flag flew half-staffed when its founder Colonel Sanders passed away.
The company, formerly known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, according to parent company Yum Brands. Yum Brands also owns Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Habit Burger and Grill.
The move ended decades of the state's brand history and elicited criticism from the governor of Kentucky. Yum cited “larger collaborations between brands” as the reason for the move, but Texas has been actively pushing companies to move in recent years, promoting business-friendly policies such as low taxes and lighter regulations. did.
Charities Yum Brands and the KFC Foundation will maintain corporate offices in Louisville, the company said. Pizza Hut is already based in Plano, while Taco Bell and Habit Burger and Grill is based in Irvine, California.
The company also said it hoped remote US-based employees would return to their offices at work locations and expected it to take 18 months.
In a statement, Yum Brands CEO David Gibbs said that by bringing together employees, we improve the culture of the company and hone the talent.
However, Kentucky officials lamented the loss of business.
“I am disappointed with this decision and I believe the company's founders will,” Gov. Andy Besher said in a statement. “The company's name starts in Kentucky and sells state heritage and culture in the sale of its products. My hope is for the company to reconsider moving Kentucky Fried Chicken employees out of Kentucky. .”
Haaland Sanders, universally known as “Colonel Sanders,” began selling chicken from roadside motels in Kentucky in 1930. He prepared the meat in a sealed pressure cooker in the flavor. The secret chicken recipe, which includes the famous 11 herbs and spices, was founded in 1939, and the colonel began wearing his trademark white suit in 1950.
After selling the company in 1964, Sanders was titled “Colonel” but remained famous for his appearance in commercials. Later in his life he was sometimes critical of the changes the company made to his recipes. However, his portrait still rules the logo.
When Sanders died in 1980, he lay in the state at the Kentucky Capitol in Frankfort. Over 1,000 people attended the funeral in the freezing weather. Pat Boone sang, and the colonel was buried in his white suit.
The company said it will continue to be involved in Kentucky, offering a $1 million donation to the University of Louisville University of Business and building a flagship restaurant in the city.
Kentucky Fried Chicken shortened its name to KFC in 1991. This distances itself from the term “frying” that is associated with unhealthy diets. Currently, there are 30,000 restaurants around the world.
Recently, many large companies have moved to Texas. Chevron, the second-largest US oil company, said it had moved its base from California to Texas in August and split from August to break up with a state that is actively pushing forward to dealing with climate change.
More and more critical of what he sees as forced regulations in Delaware and California, Elon Musk has been making many of his companies, including automaker Tesla, rocket company SpaceX and Social Network X, to include Texas. I've moved to.
Meta, owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has been considering moving a legal home to Texas, perhaps Texas, and perhaps another state last month. And last year, a group of major financial companies funded the Dallas start-up stock exchange to challenge the control of the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ in its listings and trading of businesses and funds.
Daniel Kay Reports of contributions.
