The official headquarters of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) will shift its US corporate base from Louisville, Kentucky, to Plano, Texas. Yum Brands declared a corporate office restructuring, which led to its decision to move its headquarters to Texas from Louisville.
Approximately 100 corporate employees, along with numerous remote workers, will be required to relocate to the new headquarters in Texas. Yum Brands has assured affected employees that they will receive support to facilitate their transition.
Under this plan, KFC and Pizza Hut will be based in Plano, while Taco Bell and Habit Burger & Grill will continue to operate from Irvine, California.
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Many businesses have been drawn to Texas in recent years due to its favourable business climate, which includes lower taxes and regulatory incentives. “These changes position us for sustainable growth and will help us better serve our customers, employees, franchisees and shareholders,” said David Gibbs, CEO of Yum Brands, in a statement.
Kentucky governor express disappointment over KFC’s move to Texas
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear told the Associated Press, “I am disappointed by this decision and believe the company’s founder would be, too. This company’s name starts with Kentucky, and it has marketed our state’s heritage and culture in the sale of its product.”
The history of KFC began in the 1930s when Colonel Harland Sanders opened his first chicken business at a Kentucky gas station in Corbin. The Colonel Harland Sanders logo represents KFC worldwide, with its current presence in more than 24,000 stores throughout 145 countries and territories.
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Several major enterprises have shown an increasing interest in relocating their headquarters since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Real estate services firm CBRE shows that Austin, alongside Texas metropolitan areas, received substantial benefits from the location changes due to state business-friendly policies and economic incentives.
Yum Brands, however, chose to keep its corporate offices together with the KFC Foundation in Louisville after relocating the headquarters.