Kentucky Fried Chicken was started by Harland Sanders in 1930 in a small room at the front of a gas station.  He started the company in Corbin, Kentucky and he served as the managers of the station, the cook, and the cashier.  This was originally called Sanders Court & Cafe.  In 1936 the Governor of Kentucky, Ruby Laffoon, made Harland an honorary Kentucky Colonel.  By 1937 they had expanded by adding a motel and 142 seats in the restaurant.  In 1940 the Colonel introduced the Original Recipe fried chicken and by 1952 he was actively franchising the business.

In 1957, KFC started to sell chicken in buckets.  By 1960 there were 400 Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise units in the United States and Canada.  By 1971 there were 3,500 locations and in 1986 PepsiCo, Inc. purchased KFC.  Even though the name of the company that owns KFC has changed to YUM! Brands they are still the same company as PepsiCo, Inc.

Kentucky Fried Chicken is most well-known for their secret recipes for fried chicken.  They also serve sandwiches, grilled chicken, sides, beverages, and desserts.  Some locations offer a buffet of chicken and sides and all the locations offer buckets of chicken, family meals, and platters.  They still have the original recipe chicken that was introduced in 1940 and they have expanded the chicken menu to include many new flavors and types of breading.

Kentucky Fried Chicken can be opened as a franchise in many territories.  They require a $1.5 million net worth with at least half of it being liquid assets.  It takes a total investment of up to $2.5 million to get a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant up and running.  This all depends on the size of the location and the area.  The initial franchise fee is $45,000 per unit or $75,000 if the franchisee wants to open a combination restaurant with KFC and Taco Bell.  They do require all locations to contribute 5% of gross sales to the advertising fund and the royalties are also 5% of the gross sales.