Operations of KFC by country

Further information: List of countries with KFC franchises
A KFC outlet in Quito, Ecuador; the largest market for the chain in the Caribbean and South America.
Map of countries with KFC franchises as of December 2023

KFC is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, one of the largest restaurant companies in the world. KFC had sales of $23 billion in 2013.[1] KFC is incorporated under Delaware General Corporation Law,[2] and has its headquarters at 1441 Gardiner Lane, Louisville, Kentucky, in a three-story colonial style building known colloquially as the "White House" due to its resemblance to the US president's home.[3][4] The headquarters contain executive offices and the company's research and development facilities.[5]

By December 2013, there were 18,875 KFC outlets in 118 countries and territories around the world.[6] There are 4,563 outlets in China, 4,491 in the United States and 9,821 across the rest of the world.[6] Outlets are owned by franchisees or directly by the company.[7] Eleven percent of outlets are company owned, with the rest operated by franchise holders.[8] Although capital intensive, company ownership allows for faster expansion of the chain.[9]

Most restaurants are furnished with images of the company founder, Colonel Harland Sanders.[5] As well as dine-in and take-out, many stand-alone KFC outlets offer a drive-through option.[10] KFC offers a limited delivery service in a small number of markets.[10] Units include express concessions and kiosks which feature a limited menu and operate in non-traditional locations such as filling stations, convenience stores, stadia, theme parks and colleges, where a full scale outlet would not be practical.[10] Average annual sales per unit was $1.2 million in 2013.[11] Worldwide, the daily average number of food orders at an outlet is 250, with most occurring within a two-hour peak period.[12]

As Chairman and CEO of Yum!, Greg Creed[13] ultimately has foremost responsibility for KFC operations. Sam Su is chairman and CEO of Yum!'s Chinese operations and Tony Lowings is the president and CEO of KFC, replacing Roger Eaton who retired in 2018.[14] David Gibbs is president, CFO and COO of Yum! Brands, Inc.[13] On March 7, 2019, KFC announced a new executive position "Chief Communications Officer" and Staci Rawls will fill that position.[15]

  1. ^ Iconic Global Brand (PDF). Louisville: Yum! Brands. 2014. p. 98. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 16, 2014. Retrieved September 1, 2016.
  2. ^ Thimmesch, Adam B. (2011–2012). "The Fading Bright Line of Physical Presence: Did KFC Corporation v. Iowa Department of Revenue Give States the Secret Recipe for Repudiating Quill?". Kentucky Law Journal. 100: 339–389.
  3. ^ Kleber, John E. (December 4, 2000). The Encyclopedia of Louisville. University Press of Kentucky. p. 482. ISBN 978-0-8131-2100-0. Retrieved September 11, 2012.
  4. ^ Wolf, Barney (May 2012). "David Novak's Global Vision". QSR Magazine. Archived from the original on March 9, 2014. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  5. ^ a b "Yum! Brands 10K 31/12/2011". Yum! Brands. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
  6. ^ a b "Restaurant counts" (PDF). Yum! Brands. p. 111. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 11, 2022. Retrieved September 1, 2016. As of year end 2015, KFC had 5,003 units in China, 372 units in India and 14,577 units within the KFC Division.
  7. ^ Jing, Jun (2000). Feeding China's Little Emperors: Food, Children, and Social Change. Stanford University Press. p. 123. ISBN 978-0-8047-3134-8. Retrieved September 27, 2013.
  8. ^ David E. Bell; Mary L. Shelman (November 2011). "KFC's Radical Approach To China". Harvard Business Review. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
  9. ^ Steyn, Lisa (June 21, 2013). "KFC's secret recipe for growth". Mail & Guardian. Retrieved September 26, 2013.
  10. ^ a b c Cartwright, Roger (October 31, 2003). Implementing a Training and Development Strategy: Training and Development 11.8. John Wiley & Sons. p. 42. ISBN 978-1-84112-494-0.
  11. ^ Novak, David (March 2014). Recognizing the Power of Yum!. Yum!. p. 9.
  12. ^ Stephens Balakrishnan, Melodena (2013). East Meets West: the World is Round and Time is Cyclic. Emerald Group Publishing. pp. 126–132. ISBN 978-1-78190-413-8.
  13. ^ a b "Senior Officers & Leadership Team". Yum! Brands. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  14. ^ Maze, Jonathan (September 28, 2018). "Tony Lowings to replace Roger Eaton as KFC CEO". Restaurant Business. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  15. ^ Luna, Nancy (March 7, 2019). "KFC names first chief communications officer". Nations Restaurant News. Retrieved March 8, 2019.