KFC, the company once known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is leaving the state for Texas.
The chain founded by Col. Harland Sanders is leaving its Louisville headquarters to set up shop in the Dallas suburb of Plano, Yum! Brands announced Tuesday.
Around 100 U.S. employees will be required to relocate over the next six months and another 90 who work remotely will be required to move over the next 18 months.
The fried chicken chain announced that it will move its headquarters from Kentucky to Texas. (KAREN BLEIER/AFP via Getty Images)
KFC and Pizza Hut Global will both be headquartered in Plano, the company said. Yum! Brands and the KFC Foundation will maintain corporate offices in Louisville.
Taco Bell and the Habit Burger & Grill will remain headquartered in Irvine, California.
"These changes position us for sustainable growth and will help us better serve our customers, employees, franchisees and shareholders," said Yum! Brands CEO David Gibbs. "Ultimately, bringing more of our people together on a consistent basis will maximize our unrivaled culture and talent as a competitive advantage. I’m confident this is another important step in growing our iconic restaurant brands globally."
A KFC restaurant in Xiamen, China (Reuters Marketplace)
The company isn't abandoning Kentucky entirely. It will provide a $1 million endowment to the College of Business at the University of Louisville to fund Yum!-sponsored scholarships and further support the Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence.
KFC will continue its brand presence in Louisville with the ambition of building a first-of-its-kind flagship restaurant, the company said.
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In 2020, Papa Johns moved its headquarters from Louisville to Atlanta. In February 2023, the pizza giant announced that it would keep staff in Louisville despite plans to sell the former headquarters building.