Startup stories in association with oh look. in a name that is marked its presence in the hearts of hundreds and thousands of chicken lovers doesn’t need any introduction well even if you don’t have a love for chicken the inspirational story of colonial Sanders will beg you to know more about it this story is about a man who has been an excellent example of persistence commitment and determination today we are going to talk about the founder of the most loved chicken brand in the world KFC and this is the success story of colonal Harlan Sanders as how this fast food icon followed an unlikely part to creating a multi billion dollar international company.His story starts with Harlan Sanders who was born in the small town of Indiana in the year eighteen ninety. At the age of 12 after his father passed away. He took the responsibilities on his shoulder and left home to find some job to support his poverty stricken family. Later his mom remarried when he was 12 years old. Because his new stepfather didn’t like the boys around.
Sanders brother was sent to live with an aunt while he was sent to work on a farm about 80 miles away. Sanders soon realised that he would rather work all day than go to school. So he dropped out in the seventh grade. Later he started working at various places without a proper goal. In addition to a stint in Cuba with the army. Sanders spent the first half of his life doing a series of odd jobs including stoking the steam engines of trains throughout the south.
Selling insurance, selling tyres, making lighting systems and operating a ferry boat. However the only skill that he possessed was cooking. That his mother had taught him from the age of seven. After trying his hand at many odd jobs. He stay at any place for long. Later he became a cook and a dishwasher in a small cafe. Finally in the year 19 30 he settled into a permanent job at the shell filling station.
Just outside a small city called North Corbyn. In his free time he used to cook dishes his mother had taught him and served them in his studio house which he had converted into a small eatery. And soon his steak and the country ham recipes were a big hit with the travellers who would regularly stop to eat at his place. With all the savings that he had.
Sanders bought a larger place nearby to accommodate the ever increasing customers. He increased the dishes and included the legendary fried chicken recipe for the first time in nineteen thirty-six. By the year nineteen thirty-seven he again expanded the hotel which now accommodated up to one 50 people at the same time. He was extremely happy that he had become successful at his new business. But he was all is looking to improve his production process and expand his customer base.
Later in order to expand his food chain he started travelling by car to different restaurants and cooked his fried chicken on the spot for restaurant owners. However Sanders recipe was rejected by thousand and nine restaurants as they did not like the taste. But Sanders never gave up. He knew that his recipe was one of a kind and unique. He went ahead with the same conviction as he used to have and finally a restaurant owner agreed to sell Sanders chicken.
So more restaurants were waiting to sell this new recipe of fried chicken in their restaurants. By 19 63 nearly 600 restaurants was selling the recipe. After four years Kentucky Fried Chicken was at the peak of glory. But Sanders decided to sell the corporation to a private investor named John Y Brown. Under the deal he received 2 million dollar in cash and remains the official phase of the company for which he was paid about $250, 000 every year.
Sanders wasn’t to let go of his baby. But at the age of 75 he decided that it would be best to see his company continue to grow beyond his capacity. Also Sanders was never really worried about making money. He always focused on quality and customer experience than anything else. Soon KFC implemented stand alone stores which specialised in the take home model. By the year 1967.
KFC had gone on to become the sixth largest restaurant chain by sale volume in the US. Later KFC started off by starting stores in Canada and soon spread itself into more than 40 countries with 3000 outlets by the end of the year nineteen seventy. KFC changed many hands before it came under the ownership of yum brands in nineteen ninety-seven. Soon they added many more recipes into their menu like deserts, sandwiches and drinks that would compliment its best selling fried chicken recipe.By the year 19ninety-one where sales had doubled and reached an estimate $6. 2 billion dollars with a total of 8500 outlets around the world. Well, that was just the beginning of expansion for KFC as there was no stopping to this ever growing company.
Today, KFC is the second largest restaurant chain in the world. It is faced many ups and downs but has remain a crowd favourite ever since its launch. With over 20, 000 stores across one 23 countries and with the revenue of over $23 billion dollars. KFC today is one of the biggest brands in the world. Sanders may have lack the motivation to become as wealthy as he could have been. But he is now known in 123 countries for his favourite fried chicken recipe which is more than he could have ever hoped for when he hit the road at the age of sixty-five.
With a car full of cooking supplies. The success of KFC is the result of endless trials and experience and the persistence of Colonial Sanders to eventually make it as one of the biggest brands in the world. Startup story salutes colonal sandals for his impeccable persistence and determination. And we wish KFC all the very best for their future endeavours.Thank you so much everyone for suggesting us to bring KFC and Colonial Sanders success story. We hope you liked it. Do let us know whose story do you want to see next in the comment section below and we’ll soon have it uploaded on this channel. For more inspirational stories and updates from the startup world, visit our website startup stories. IN. Till then stay motivated.