Folks, it’s official: Kentucky Fried Chicken is Kentucky Fried no more. The finger-lickin’ giant just announced it’s packing up its 11 herbs and spices and heading to Texas, leaving behind a heartbroken Kentucky and one very confused Colonel Sanders (who, if he were alive, would probably be shaking his drumstick at this betrayal).
The chain’s parent company, Yum! Brands, dropped the bombshell on Tuesday, declaring that KFC’s U.S. headquarters will be flying the coop from Louisville, Kentucky, and roosting in Plano, Texas, The Associated Press reported. Roughly 100 employees will be making the move over the next six months.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear took the news about as well as a vegan at a barbecue. “I am disappointed by this decision and believe the company’s founder would be, too,” he lamented in a statement, while (we assume) clutching a bucket of extra crispy for emotional support. “This company’s name starts with Kentucky, and it has marketed our state’s heritage and culture in the sale of its product.”
Rumor has it he’s been spotted outside the governor’s mansion, drowning his sorrows in a bathtub full of coleslaw.
But why Texas? Why ditch bourbon and bluegrass for brisket and big hats? According to Yum! Brands CEO David Gibbs, “These changes position us for sustainable growth and will help us better serve our customers, employees, franchisees, and shareholders.” Translation: Texas has better tax breaks and a population that can house a fried chicken bucket the size of a Ford F-150.
Plano, a Dallas suburb, is already home to Yum! Brands’ KFC and Pizza Hut Global headquarters. Overall, the company now plans to have dual headquarters split between Texas and Irvine, California — which is a bit like being based in both North and South Korea.
KFC was established by Colonel Harland Sanders, who began serving chicken to travelers at a roadside motel in Kentucky during the 1930s. Today, the brand operates more than 30,000 restaurants in 150 countries.
However, KFC isn’t cutting all ties with its old Kentucky home. The company says it will maintain corporate offices in Louisville and even plans to open a fancy flagship store there, presumably to reassure Kentuckians that, yes, they are still worthy of chicken, even if they are no longer worthy of being the brand’s official nest.
As KFC relocates to a state where everything’s bigger, we can only speculate what this means for the brand’s future. Will the chain introduce Texas-sized buckets that require a forklift and a home equity loan? Will they swap out their secret recipe for a spicy mesquite rub?
One thing is certain: If there’s one state that can handle a mass influx of breaded poultry, it’s Texas.
And we assume that Beshear will soon introduce legislation requiring all future fried chicken to be emotionally and legally bound to Kentucky.
