Not only was Colonel Sanders a Hoosier, but the first KFC wasn't even in Kentucky (but the colonel's original recipe started there).

KFC

Before it was known as KFC, the popular franchise was known as Kentucky Fried Chicken (it was rebranded to KFC in 1991).  Of course synonymous with the franchise is Colonel Sanders.  Colonel Sanders was the real person who came up with the blend of 11 herbs and spices that go into KFC's top-secret original recipe, which made the franchise a global hit.  But recently I learned a few interesting things about this popular fried chicken restaurant. Like did you know Colonel Sanders wasn't from Kentucky?   Let's dive into some interesting Kentucky Fried history.

Colonel Sanders is a Hoosier

I was pretty shocked when I learned that the colonel was a fellow Hoosier! According to KFC, Colonel Sanders (his real name was Harland Sanders) was born on a farm near Henryville, Indiana in 1890.   He grew up enjoying cooking, and that joy of cooking would eventually pay off in a big way when he perfected his recipe of 11 secret herbs and spices.

Our founder, Colonel Harland Sanders. An icon. A legend. A failure. That’s right, a failure. Colonel Sanders had to put in some seriously hard graft before his Original Recipe Chicken finally spread its wings across the world.

 

An Honorary Colonel

Before he was known as Colonel Sanders, he tried out a few different careers including serving in the Army. Even though he is known to the world as Colonel Sanders, he was actually not a Colonel in the military.  According to the Sanders Cafe and Museum, he was bestowed the title in an honorary sense as he was the "Kentucky Colonel."

KFC explains:

After serving in the U.S. Army and trying his hand at more than couple careers — firefighter, streetcar operator and insurance salesperson, to name a few. He then began running service stations in Nicholasville and Corbin, Kentucky. There, he started serving his delicious fried chicken to interstate travelers, eventually perfecting the pressure cooker method and his secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices.

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And to add even more to this interesting Kentucky fried lore, the first Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise location was not even in Kentucky.   The first KFC opened its doors in 1952 in Salt Lake City, Utah. But there's still plenty of Kentucky roots in the KFC story.

Sanders Cafe and Museum in Corbin, Kentucky

While Colonel Sanders may be from Indiana, and the first KFC franchise opened in Utah, there are still Kentucky roots in the Colonel's history. Corbin, Kentucky is actually where the famous original recipe began.   

You can still visit Sanders Cafe and Museum, and enjoy a bucket of KFC's original recipe today, but it's been fully restored to look just like it did back in the 1940s when Colonel Sanders owned it. 

Sanders Café, located at 688 Hwy 25 in Corbin, is the birthplace of KFC’s Original Recipe®. It is where KFC’s founder, Colonel Harland Sanders, perfected his secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices more than 75 years ago. That recipe is still served today in KFCs everywhere.

Originally established in 1937 as a gas station along U.S. Route 25, Sanders Court eventually expanded to include a motel and café where the Colonel offered guests a hot meal and a place to rest along their journey.