KFC, known as Kentucky Fried Chicken until 1991, is an American fast food chain specializing in fried chicken. Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, it is the world's second-largest restaurant chain (measured by sales) after McDonald's, with nearly 20,000 locations worldwide in 123 countries and territories as of December 2015. The chain is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, a restaurant company that also owns the Pizza Hut and Taco Bell chains. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original EssayKFC was founded by Colonel Harland Sanders, an entrepreneur who began selling fried chicken at his roadside restaurant in Corbin, Kentucky during the Great Depression. Sanders identified the potential of the restaurant franchising concept, and the first "Kentucky Fried Chicken" franchise opened in Utah in 1952. KFC popularized chicken in the fast food industry, diversifying the market by challenging the established dominance of the hamburger. Calling himself "Colonel Sanders", Harland became a prominent figure in American cultural history, and his image remains widely used in KFC advertising. However, the company's rapid expansion overwhelmed the elder Sanders and he sold it to a group of investors led by John Y. Brown Jr. and Jack C. Massey in 1964. KFC was one of the first American fast food chains to expand to internationally, opening stores in Canada, the United Kingdom, Mexico and Jamaica by the mid-1960s. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, it experienced mixed fortunes nationwide, as it went through a series of changes in business ownership with little to no experience in the restaurant industry. In the early 1970s, KFC was sold to alcohol distributor Heublein, which was taken over by food and tobacco conglomerate RJ Reynolds; that company sold the chain to PepsiCo. However, the chain continued to expand overseas and in 1987 became the first Western restaurant chain to open in China. It has since expanded rapidly into China, which is now the company's largest market. PepsiCo spun off its restaurants division as Tricon Global Restaurants, which later changed its name to Yum! Brands. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay KFC's original product is pieces of pressure-fried chicken, seasoned with Sanders' recipe of 11 herbs and spices. The components of the recipe represent a significant trade secret. Larger portions of fried chicken are served in a cardboard "bucket", which has become a well-known feature of the chain since it was first introduced by franchisee Pete Harman in 1957. Since the early 1990s, KFC has expanded its menu to offer other chicken products such as burgers and chicken fillet wraps, as well as salads and sides, such as french fries and coleslaw, desserts, and soft drinks, the latter often provided by PepsiCo. KFC is known for its slogans "Finger-Lickin' Good", "Nobody does chicken like KFC" and "So good".