Operations of KFC by country
KFC is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, one of the largest restaurant companies in the world. KFC had sales of $23 billion in 2013. KFC is incorporated under Delaware General Corporation Law, and has its headquarters at 1441 Gardiner Lane, Louisville, Kentucky, in a three-story colonial style building known colloquially as the "White House" due to its resemblance to the US president's home. The headquarters contain executive offices and the company's research and development facilities.
By December 2013, there were 18,875 KFC outlets in 118 countries and territories. There are 4,563 outlets in China, 4,491 in the United States and 9,821 across the rest of the world. Outlets are owned by franchisees or directly by the company. Eleven percent of outlets are company owned, with the rest operated by franchise holders. Although capital intensive, company ownership allows for faster expansion of the chain.
Most restaurants are furnished with images of the company founder, Colonel Harland Sanders. As well as dine-in and take-out, many stand-alone KFC outlets offer a drive-through option. KFC offers a limited delivery service in a small number of markets. Units include express concessions and kiosks which feature a limited menu and operate in non-traditional locations such as filling stations, convenience stores, stadia, theme parks and colleges, where a full scale outlet would not be practical. Average annual sales per unit was $1.2 million in 2013. Worldwide, the daily average number of food orders at an outlet is 250, with most occurring within a two-hour peak period.
As Chairman and CEO of Yum!, Greg Creed ultimately has foremost responsibility for KFC operations. Sam Su is chairman and CEO of Yum!'s Chinese operations and Tony Lowings is the president and CEO of KFC, replacing Roger Eaton who retired in 2018. David Gibbs is president, CFO and COO of Yum! Brands, Inc. On March 7, 2019, KFC announced a new executive position "Chief Communications Officer" and Staci Rawls will fill that position.
Africa
The company hopes to expand its African operations, where it is already the regional leader among US fast food chains. The company is slowly expanding across the African continent, opening 70 outlets, but progress has been hampered by sourcing issues, such as a lack of quality suppliers. The first three African countries in which KFC opened were South Africa in 1971, Egypt in 1973 and Mauritius in 1983. Mauritius has over 21 KFC outlets. Morocco has KFC outlets as well. Libya open first restaurant in 2021 without license in Tripoli. The first KFC in Senegal was opened in 2019.Asia
KFC operates restaurants in several Asian countries.In Sri Lanka, KFC was launched in 1995 at Majestic City. There were 62 KFC restaurants in Sri Lanka as of April 2024. It is currently operated by Cargills Ceylon PLC.
In Singapore, the first KFC franchise was opened in 1977 along Somerset Road. In 1993, KFC Singapore was the first KFC in Asia to develop and launch the Zinger. KFC restaurants in Singapore are currently owned and operated by KFC Holdings Bhd.
In Cambodia, KFC first opened on Monivong Boulevard in Phnom Penh in 2008.
In Myanmar, the first KFC outlet was officially opened on Bogyoke Aung San Road in Yangon in 2015.
In the Philippines, KFC opened their first store in Asia in 1967.
In Taiwan, KFC entered the market in 1984 and opened its first store in 1985 in Taipei City. The 100th store in Taiwan opened in 1999. It was the second-largest fast-food chain restaurant in Taiwan until Mos Burger exceeded the number of branches of KFC in 2008. Now KFC is the third-largest fast-food chain restaurant, with 137 stores as of 2017.
Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, the first KFC outlet was opened at Gulshan in 2006. KFC operates 46 outlets across twelve cities — 34 in Dhaka, 3 in Chittagong, and one each in Cox's Bazar, Narayanganj, Bogra, Khulna, Gazipur, Mymensingh, Barisal, Rajshahi and Comilla.Variation in the menu includes the Fiery Grill'd and Tom Yum. Bangladesh is the first, and so far, only country that has served beef in its outlets.
Pakistan
In Pakistan, the first outlet of KFC was opened in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi in 1997. KFC has a presence in 31 major cities of Pakistan with more than 150 outlets nationwide, out of which 38 are in Karachi and 31 are in Lahore.KFC Pakistan's menu consists of burgers, sandwiches, fried chicken, nuggets, hot wings, French fries, rice dishes, twister wraps and drinks. KFC in Pakistan introduced a new food item named "Zingeratha" which is a fusion of the Zinger and paratha, a traditional bread in Pakistan. In January 2020, KFC Pakistan introduced Thai sweet chili wings and Buffalo wings.
China
KFC is the largest restaurant chain in China, with 12,600 outlets as of the end of September 2025. They are operated by the Yum! China division. KFC became the first Western fast food company in China after its first outlet opened in Qianmen, Beijing in November 1987.Local food items include rice congee and tree fungus salad, with an average of 50 different menu items per store.
In December 2012, the chain faced allegations that some of its suppliers injected antiviral drugs and growth hormones into poultry in ways that violated food safety regulations. This resulted in the chain severing its relationship with 100 suppliers and agreeing to "actively co-operate" with a government investigation into its use of antibiotics. KFC China sales in January 2013 were down 41 percent against the previous year. To counter sluggish sales, the menu was revamped in 2014.
In July 2014, Chinese authorities closed down the Shanghai operations of the OSI Group amidst allegations that it had supplied KFC with expired meat. Yum! immediately terminated its contract with the supplier and stated that the revelation had led to a "significant negative" decline in sales.
KFC opened its first outlet in Tibet in March 2016.
India
There are 1191 KFC outlets in India. The company has adapted the standard KFC offerings to Indian tastes and the menu options in India include the Hot & Crispy Chicken and Fiery Grilled bucket options, the Chicken Zinger, Krushers, Rice Bowlz and the more recently launched 5-in-1 Meal Box. The business was refranchised in October 2015 after Yum concluded a year-and-a-half-long exercise to reorganize its business under larger, well-capitalized franchisees. In this regard, about a third of its outlets, operated by several of its franchisees, have been sold to a newly formed entity — Sapphire Foods India Pvt. Ltd. The new entity is owned by a consortium of four private equity funds, led by Samara Capital. The other investors are CX Partners, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and a fourth fund, said a top executive at the local arm of the American food company.The first Indian KFC was a two-story outlet on the fashionable Brigade Road in Bangalore in June 1995. According to journalist Michael White, the company could not have chosen a "more difficult venue for its maiden entrée into the country". Bangalore housed the headquarters of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, one of the most influential, vocal and anti-foreign investment farmers' associations in the country. The first outlet suffered protests from anti-globalisation and environmental campaigners as well as local farmers, who objected to the chain bypassing local producers. Many Indians were concerned about the onslaught of consumerism, the loss of national self-sufficiency, and the disruption of indigenous traditions. The protests came to a head in August 1995, when the Bangalore outlet was repeatedly ransacked. The KFC outlet in Bangalore demanded, and received, a police van permanently parked outside for a year. The outlet was closed on September 13, 1995, by local authorities, who claimed the company used illegally high amounts of monosodium glutamate in its food. The outlet re-opened a few hours later as the result of an appeal by KFC to the Karnataka High Court. The company stated the recipe was no different than that used in any other KFC store. Rural activist M. D. Nanjundaswamy claimed KFC would adversely affect the health of the impoverished by diverting grain from poor people to make the more profitable animal feed. Environmentalist Maneka Gandhi joined the anti-KFC movement. A second outlet opened in Delhi but was closed by the authorities throughout November, purportedly for health reasons, but more likely to avoid a repetition of the Bangalore incident. The Delhi outlet soon closed permanently.
KFC began to expand outside of Bangalore in 2004, with a localized menu that was the most extensive meat-free menu across the chain's worldwide operations. It introduced a vegetarian menu that included rice meals, wraps and side dishes and, like McDonald's, served eggless mayonnaise and sauces. Unnat Varma, marketing director of KFC India, states "The vegetarian offerings have made the brand more relevant to a larger section of consumers and that is necessary for KFC's growth." KFC also began using Indian spices and cooking techniques to localize its chicken dishes. By 2008–09, KFC operated 34 outlets in India. In 2014, KFC launched the "So Veg, So Good" menu as part of an India-specific promotional strategy focused on enhancing their vegetarian range. The company has been up to a lot of innovation over the past few months with the launch of the first-ever no crust all chicken KFC Chizza in December 2016. More recently, KFC got Mumbai's dabbawalas to deliver its newly launched 5-in-1 Meal Boxes. The city's dabbawalas, famed for their efficient delivery of office lunches, took on the role of KFC delivery men as part of an innovative marketing campaign. They supplied specially created 5-in-1 Meal Boxes to some office-goers instead of their regular dabbas. The innovation efforts have continued with the launch of the Watt a Box, a practical new take on the 5-in-1 Meal Box, which can also charge phones.
In July 2025, ‘Hindu Raksha Dal terrorized KFC in Ghailzand over sawan.
In January 2026, KFC and Pizza Hut operators Sapphire Foods and Devyani International announced that they are going to merge in a US$934 million deal.