KFS success story. The story of the creator of KFC: The Real Colonel (16 photos)

“After I said the sinner's prayer, it completely changed my life. It really made a difference in me." - Colonel Sanders, founder of KFC.

The most famous founder of the fast food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken, Colonel Harland Sanders David was born on September 9, 1890 in Henryville, Indiana.

After his father died when he was 6 years old, his mother had to go to work, and Sanders began to take care of his family on his own. younger brother and sister.

By the way, this predetermined his fate, since Sanders began to cook a lot and cook quite tasty, while all his relatives began to note that he little boy I have excellent abilities for this matter. However, he began to earn his living from this only 30 years later.

After some time, his mother remarried, and Sanders went to work. It should be noted that none of his works was his favorite - and he had enough works. And what did the future millionaire do - farmer, tram conductor, private American army, blacksmith's assistant, locomotive fireman, legal trainee in court, insurance agent, furniture loader, ferry captain, salesman car tires and a car mechanic.

Perhaps, of all his jobs, the happiest was working as a fireman on a steam locomotive - it was at that time that he decided to propose to his beloved Claudia, who supported him throughout family life and always believed in her beloved Harland. But the most fateful and even “title-bearing” job was working in a car repair shop.

By that time, most of his life had already flown by, and he was still a small man who had achieved nothing, he did not have enough money to live for his own pleasure. He was disappointed in life. And, of course, he wanted to change it.

Yes, Harland was already 40 years old when he opened his first successful business - an auto repair shop on Route 25, along which many Americans traveled south from the northern states. The car service began to generate decent income.

It must be admitted that Sanders showed himself here not only as a practical businessman, but also was extremely insightful - after observing the often hungry tourists staying with him, he decided to open his own dining room, where he personally fried incomparable chickens, adding his own unique seasoning!

Chicken meat became extremely popular, bringing incredible income to the budget. Significant event in Sanders' life occurred in 1935, when the governor of Kentucky awarded Harland the title of "Kentucky Colonel" for his services to the state. Indeed, they were great - after all, all over the area they were talking about “ national dish» State by Harland Sanders.

But soon life began to crack again - the construction of a new highway was completed, onto which the entire stream that had previously passed by Harland’s auto repair shop was driven away.

It would seem like a failure again, his age is no longer young - 62 years old, Harland has almost given up.

And then... fried chicken came to his rescue! Yes, that’s right, Harland tensed up, packed his suitcase and went to drive around to nearby restaurants with the only phrase: “I can cook fried chicken better than you.” And he was refused again and again; an excellent cook in his advanced years was suspiciously examined from head to toe and often not even allowed onto the threshold.

It took a long time before he was able to find his first customer. Under the terms of the agreement, Sanders received only 5 cents for each of his chickens at each restaurant. Not bad, considering that order volumes were constantly growing. Needless to say, already in the early 60s, several hundred US restaurants were clients of Harland Sanders.

And then Harland Sanders’ wish came true - he realized himself 100%. He found his favorite job, completely surrendering to his talent. He made others believe in themselves!

When he was 70 years old, Kentucky Fried Chicken reached the peak of its fame, and the old colonel decided to sell the company to private investors for $2 million and a position as a company representative (the face of the brand), for which he was paid about $250 thousand a year.

He only needed to meet with the press, clients, employees, in general - to conduct marketing for the leader, which he, however, was no longer. But he didn’t need it.

In 1980, at the age of 90, Harland Sanders died. Recent years he devoted quite a lot to himself - traveling, playing golf, running his own restaurant, Claudia Sanders’ Dinner House, with his wife. Colonel Harland Sanders was able to make his life complete.

This part of David Harland Sanders' biography may be known to many, but there is a lesser known part of his life story. However, one American preacher and author has done his best to change that.

Dr. Bob Rogers, whose father Waymon Rogers was a Colonel pastor, wrote a book about the legendary fried chicken entrepreneur. In this book he reveals amazing facts about the founder of the KFC restaurant chain, Colonel Sanders. In it, he tells the story of how his father baptized this famous billionaire in the Jordan River in 1967, shortly after he became a Christian.

Rogers writes: “My dad knelt down next to him and asked, “Colonel, would you like to be born again?” The old colonel said with tears in his eyes, “I really want to, do you think Jesus can really save me and free me from what I curse?” Then dad said, “Colonel, God will save you tonight and you will never fight again.” That night the colonel sincerely accepted Christ into his heart. He was truly born again and became a new creation in Christ Jesus. From then on he never used the Lord's Name in vain.

A few days after his rescue, the colonel donated $15,000 to Pastor Rogers' church in Louisville, Kentucky—a very important amount at that moment.

The colonel told the pastor: “After I said the sinner’s prayer, it completely changed my life. It really made a difference in me." "I'm ready to give a large amount money, I want to tithe the church.”

Dr. Rogers' book also tells how the Colonel experienced supernatural healing when colon surgery was scheduled to stop further development diseases. He was awaiting surgery in the hospital when his pastor, Rogers, came to pray for him. A day later, Sanders wrote: “I no longer need surgery, my pastor came and prayed for me and God healed me!”

The doctor said: “Colonel, when I examined you again, there were no polyps!” The founder of KFC has given generously to the church for many years.

He later said: “My prayers have always been out of gratitude. God has been so merciful to me. I've always believed in tithing." “The Bible says you are obligated to give 10% to God. I believe that even if you are a fraudster, you still owe 10% to the Lord, at least for the fact that you breathe. Tithing is a great inspiration in my life."

Colonel Sanders is the man Americans are trying to emulate. He rose out of poverty and became a millionaire, making his dream come true.

Family and childhood

David Harland Sanders was born in Henryville, Indiana on September 9, 1890. At the age of six, the boy suddenly loses his beloved father. Financial problems force the mother to go to work in order to earn a piece of bread.

A small child becomes the eldest in the family and takes responsibility for raising his younger brother and sister. It is during this period of life that a guy discovers the endless world of cooking. Family and relatives noted the child’s ability to cook, but only decades later would Sanders’ culinary skills bring real profit.

Difficulties of life and first love

Soon mom falls in love and gets married. David has to earn his own money. The guy changes dozens of jobs, masters several professions. Sanders worked as a tire salesman, insurance agent, farmer, locomotive fireman, auto mechanic, ferry captain, and conductor. However, not a single specialty was to my liking. The only field of activity that the young man remembers is that of a fireman. During this period of his life, David meets and falls in love with a beautiful girl, Claudia, who will support him throughout his married life.

On the way to success

Most of his life passes, Sanders is forty years old, he is disappointed in life. Constant shortage money, lack of prospects, force a man to change his worldview. Harland decides to open his own business - a car service on the highway connecting the north and south of the country. The auto repair shop was in great demand among car owners. The company began to make good profits.

While working in the workshop, Sanders notices a trend that will make him millions in the future. Most auto tourists travel hungry. David decides to open a mini canteen next to the workshop, where he fries chicken himself, flavoring the dishes with unique seasonings of his own making.

Why "Colonel"?

Fried chicken was extremely popular. The Sanders family budget has been replenished with another source of income. David's chicken was so beloved by Americans that it was called the "National Dish of the State." As a reward, Sanders receives the title of “Kentucky Colonel” from the governor.

Hope and Perseverance

Soon white stripe life ends. The authorities built a new highway, which was preferred by most of David's clients. The entrepreneur finally despairs, because he is already 62 years old. He is again trying to gather his thoughts in order to determine a strategy for getting out of the current crisis.

The solution comes naturally - fried chicken comes to the rescue again. A businessman packs his bags to travel around America. He visits restaurants and catering establishments, where he offers his own unique fried chicken recipe for sale. The elderly cook is constantly turned down.

Success story

After several months of fruitless wandering, Sanders finds his first client, who offered David 5 cents for every chicken sold. The entrepreneur agrees and continues to travel around the United States with his culinary offer. In the early 60s, Sanders' chicken was sold in hundreds of restaurants across America.

Finally, David realized himself as a businessman. He is completely satisfied with the results of his activities, having devoted himself to unsurpassed culinary talent. At 70 years old trademark Kentucky Fried Chicken hits the peak of popularity, and Colonel Sanders sells the brand to international investors for two million dollars. The new owners persuade David to remain as head of marketing and sales, and he agrees.

The end of life's journey

Sanders Harland died at age 90 in 1980. The colonel devoted the rest of his life to relaxation - having fun, playing golf, and traveling a lot. He and his wife also developed their new restaurant, Claudia Sanders’ Dinner House. All the entrepreneur’s dreams came true - he managed to fill his life with meaning and become happy.

"There's no reason to be a rich man in a cemetery. Lying there, you can't do business."

Colonel Garland Sanders

If you are 40, life is just beginning! And at 62 you can start all over again :)

And you can find a lot of evidence of this. For example, the life story of Colonel Garland Sanders.

The most famous founder of the fast food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken, Colonel Harland Sanders David was born on September 9, 1890 in Henryville, Indiana.

After his father died when he was 6 years old, his mother had to go to work, and Sanders began to take care of his younger brother and sister on his own.

By the way, this predetermined his fate, since Sanders began to cook a lot and cook quite tasty, while all the relatives began to note that the little boy had excellent abilities for this matter :). However, he began to earn his living from this only 30 years later.

After some time, his mother remarried, and Sanders went to work.

It should be noted that none of his works was his favorite - and he had enough works. And what the future millionaire did was a farmer, a tram conductor, a private in the American army, a blacksmith's assistant, a steam locomotive fireman, a legal trainee in court, an insurance agent, a furniture loader, a ferry captain, a car tire salesman and a car mechanic.

Perhaps, of all his jobs, the happiest was working as a fireman on a steam locomotive - it was at that time that he decided to propose to his beloved Claudia, who supported him throughout his family life and always believed in her beloved Garland. But the most fateful and even “title-bearing” job was working in a car repair shop.

By that time, most of his life had already flown by, and he was still a small man who had achieved nothing, he did not have enough money to live for his own pleasure. He was disappointed in life. And, of course, he wanted to change it.

Yes, Garland was already 40 years old when he opened his first successful business - an auto repair shop on Route 25, along which many Americans traveled south from the northern states. The car service began to generate decent income.

It must be admitted that Sanders showed himself here not only as a practical businessman, but also was extremely insightful - after observing the often hungry tourists staying with him, he decided to open his own dining room, where he personally fried incomparable chickens, adding his own unique seasoning!

Chicken meat became extremely popular, bringing incredible income to the budget. A significant event in Sanders' life occurred in 1935, when the governor of Kentucky awarded Garlan the title of "Kentucky Colonel" for his services to the state. Indeed, they were great - after all, the whole area was talking about the “national dish” of the state from Garlan Sanders.

But soon life began to crack again - the construction of a new highway was completed, onto which the entire stream that had previously passed by Garlan’s auto repair shop was driven away.

It would seem like a failure again, his age is no longer young - 62 years old, Garlan has almost given up.

And then... fried chicken came to his rescue! Yes, that’s right, Garlan tensed up, packed his suitcase and went to drive around to nearby restaurants with the only phrase: “I can cook fried chicken better than you.” And he was refused again and again; an excellent cook in his advanced years was suspiciously examined from head to toe and often not even allowed onto the threshold.

It took a long time before he was able to find his first customer. Under the terms of the agreement, Sanders received only 5 cents for each of his chickens at each restaurant. Not bad, considering that order volumes were constantly growing. Needless to say, already in the early 60s, several hundred US restaurants were clients of Garlan Sanders.

And then Garland Sanders’ wish came true - he realized himself 100%. He found his favorite job, completely surrendering to his talent. He made others believe in themselves!

When he was 70 years old, Kentucky Fried Chicken reached the peak of its fame, and the old colonel decided to sell the company to private investors for $2 million and a position as a company representative (the face of the brand), for which he was paid about $250 thousand a year.

He only needed to meet with the press, clients, employees, in general - to conduct marketing for the leader, which he, however, was no longer. But he didn’t need it.

In 1980, at the age of 90, Garlan Sanders died.

In recent years, he has devoted quite a lot to himself - traveling, playing golf, running his own restaurant, Claudia Sanders’ Dinner House, with his wife.

And only Colonel Garlan Sanders was able to make his life like this.

In 1993, that is, just three years after the appearance of the first McDonald's in the USSR, the first domestic fast food appeared in our country in the form in which they were accustomed to seeing it abroad.

To be fair, we note that it was not entirely domestic, but an emigrant; more precisely, the founder of the Rostik Group company returned to Russia after the collapse of the USSR and literally immediately opened Rostik, and not just anywhere, but in GUM Of course, with pure enthusiasm and sheer zeal. But we will not delve into the wilds of the cheerful and bloody corruption of the first decade. new history Russia, let's delve into the wilds of the history of "Rostix".

Literally from its origins to the present day, there are only two types of fast food in the world: chicken and meat. That's it, period, all other fast foods are just derivatives or occupy insignificant market shares or are a necessary flavor and we go to eat WOK when we get tired of a hamburger. Theoretically, there is also fish fast food, but so far it has only been successful for the Norwegians and only in the premium segment; in other cases fish cutlets They are an addition to the cold cuts menu.

And please note that Burger King, McDonald's, and other chains that have a meat burger as their “flagship” always have accompanying sandwiches made from poultry or fish. But “poultry” chains are often self-sufficient. As an example of such self-sufficiency I can cite KFC and Texas Chicken and Los Pollos Hermanos. In rare cases, our orders at chicken fasts may include bacon; other types of meat are not allowed in poultry fasts.

But let's return to Rostix. The founder of the first completely domestic fast food, Rostislav Ordovsky-Tanaevsky Blanco, decided to develop the “bird” chain. We will definitely find out from him why it is avian, but for now we do not have such an opportunity and we will assume that he simply decided to become a counterweight to the already existing McDonald's and occupy the free niche of the world leader in avian fast food KFC. The niche is engaged, firstly the queue is in Moscow, and it is engaged so firmly that even after for many years, KFC restaurants are called "Rostiks" by Muscovites.

In the regions, however, things are not going so smoothly; in 1997, Rostix opened in Omsk, and only in the early 2000s in Nizhny Novgorod. Can you imagine this? But the fact is that in Russia, parallel to Rostiks, its main and international competitor, KFC, is actively operating. For example, in St. Petersburg there was no “Rostiks” at all, because, as in the case of Subway, which I told you about, the business was handled by high-born St. Petersburg chauvinists from the Pizza Nord company. Back in 1994, representatives of this company bought a license from Pepsico (at that time KFC still belonged to them) to develop KFC and Pizza Hut in Russia. But they not only bought the license, they began to open these restaurants in St. Petersburg. The first Pizza Hut was opened back in 1995, and in 1998 the first KFC restaurant was opened in Russia. Almost ten years later, in 2007, the owners of Pizza Nord got rid of this business, very successfully selling it to the international restaurant corporation AmRest, based in Poland. By this time, they had managed to open almost fifty KFCs throughout Russia and were hot on the heels of Rostiks, which, however, did not allow KFC into Moscow.

In 2005, even before the sale of Pizza Nord to the Poles, our St. Petersburg friends and Venezuelan Rostislav, it became clear that it was easier to join forces than to compete, especially since this competition was only won by McDonald's, which by the mid-2000s owned the Russian fast food market. food almost single-handedly as a result of this. strong-willed decision Russia's own Rostix KFC chain appears. Such a renaming surprised many; wow, the domestic brand was put ahead of the international one. Rumors spread that KFC might leave Russia, and Rostix would take everything for itself. However, exactly the opposite happened, the option implied the sale of the entire share of Rostiks to the owners of KFC, and this option was exercised in 2010. Yum! Brands bought all the rights to develop the KFC chain in Russia and slaughtered our domestic chicken Rostix, which flew to Russia from Venezuela.

In conclusion of this sad story, I would like to note that the example of Rostix turned out to be contagious and the domestic fast food industry did not end with its death. You yourself know this, you pass by “Teremki” or “Kroshki-potatoes” every day. However, Russia also has its own “hamburger” chains, which I will talk about a little later.

And remember: when ordering Colonel Sanders' Secret Breaded Chicken, don't bite your fingers off!

The history of KFC: how a Kentucky colonel sold chicken.

Probably everyone knows such a chain of fast food restaurants as KFC. This is one of the oldest fast food restaurant chains in the USA. It is famous all over the world for its fried chicken. Last time When I visited KFC, the cashier made several disparaging remarks about the McDonald's across the street, noting that " Unlike them, we have natural products!».
Well, there's nothing to argue about here. Of course, fried food is also, to put it mildly, not the healthiest, but KFC employees still have a reason to prick McDonald’s. In general, if you draw any parallels between McDonald’s and KFC, you can see many similarities. For example, the fact that the founder of the company achieved success when he was already much over 50 years old. Before that, he led a rather miserable life. And Garlan Sanders died as an honorary colonel of the city of Kentucky (the title of colonel is somewhat similar to the title of honorary citizen). The development of the network also followed a franchising scheme. The company was often attacked by society. If McDonald's was criticized for junk food, then KFC for killing chickens. I think the history of this company is worth noting.

6 years of education does not mean that you will be a failure all your life.

On September 9, 1890, Garlan Sanders, the future founder of KFC, was born. It must be said that Sanders had a difficult childhood. Firstly, he was far from the only child in a family that did not live very richly. His father worked part-time by carrying out some small errands for farmers in the city of Henryville, where the family actually lived. The mother did not work because she had to look after the children, which was the norm for that time. Even if the father could not earn enough money.
Problems began when Garlan's father died. This happened when the future founder of KFC had not even finished 6th grade at school. His life changed dramatically. Firstly, the mother goes to work in order to somehow feed the family. Garlan has to play the role of nanny and take care of his younger brother and sister. This fact became key in his life. Since these circumstances contributed to the development of Sanders as a cook (at the same time, quite quickly, all relatives began to note that the little boy had real talent in this matter).

Talent was talent, but there was no time left for school. As a result, Garlan finished his studies in the 6th grade. Once and for all. At the age of 6, he goes to work on a farm in the city of Greenwood. By that time, the mother had married a second time - the family had some money, but it disappeared free time, which could be dedicated to Garlan. He was not upset, but decided to take fate into his own hands and go to work in another city. True, to connect your life with agriculture the young man did not want to, and soon decided to change jobs. At the age of 15, he got a job as a tram conductor, and a year later he was sent to serve in the US Army as a private. And not just anywhere, but to Cuba! True, a military career did not appeal to Garlan, and less than a year later he left the troops. This time he found more or less permanent job- He got a job as a fireman for a US railroad company.
It must be said that Garlan finally had normal money to live on. Stable income prompted young man To important event in his life - he proposed to a girl named Claudia, with whom he lived his entire subsequent life. After the wedding, life for the Sanders family could not be called simple - Garlan was fired from his position as a fireman almost instantly. Over the following years, he tried a lot of other professions, but never found one that he could hold out on. for a long time. In such a situation, any marriage would be on the brink, but not the Sanders'. The wife endured all her husband’s problems steadfastly and believed in him until the very end. As it turned out, not in vain.

And he knows how to cook chickens!

By the age of 40, Garlan had changed several dozen professions. He sold tires, was a fireman, a soldier, a conductor, helped farmers, worked as a peddler and much, much more. It would seem that this is the typical fate of a person who has completed only 6 classes. At one time, Sanders tried to get an education by enrolling in law courses. But for reasons unknown to anyone, he never finished them.
However, when Garlan was already over 40, he had little capital accumulated over the years. This money had to be managed somehow. Sanders has been out of sorts for a long time. Most of his life had flown by, and he was still a small man who had achieved nothing and did not have enough money to live in pleasure. He was disappointed in life. And, of course, he wanted to change it. To begin with, stop exchanging jobs that are not interesting to him. And in 1930, he opened his own auto repair shop in Kentucky. It should be noted here important point– Garlan thought seriously enough about the location of his workshop, choosing for it best place– the side of the 25th federal highway. People traveled to Florida from the northern states along this road. The flow of clients was endless.

Soon, Sanders decides that he needs to make a small canteen for clients who are waiting for all the operations on their car to take place (it should be noted that Sanders' workshop performed the most simple jobs, such as changing engine oil, tires, etc.). A special place there was no room for a dining room, and therefore Garlan allocated one room of the workshop for him (his family lived in several others). This room contained a dining table and 6 chairs. Sanders cooked his food right in his home kitchen. Soon his auto repair shop became famous throughout Kentucky. Your fried chicken. It was named: "Garlan Sanders' Kentucky Fried Chicken." All customers noted the quality of his seasoning, which he prepared from 11 different spices. Life began to get better.
In order to increase his income, Garlan purchases a pressure cooker. This was the time when this type the pots were just appearing. One of the first people to appreciate the benefits of pressure cookers was Garlan Sanders. If previously chicken took about 30 minutes to cook, now this time has been reduced to 15. This means that customers did not have to wait so long for their food, which contributed to an increase in the number of orders.

A significant event in Sanders' life occurred in 1935, when Kentucky Governor Ruby Laffoon awarded Garlan the title of "Kentucky Colonel" for his services to the state. Indeed, they were great - after all, the whole area was talking about the “national dish” of the state from Garlan Sanders.
At this time, Sanders realized that he needed to refocus his business away from the automotive workshop theme. At 37 he opens a motel Sanders Court & Cafe, which was also a fast food restaurant in its own right. True, one cannot compare the fast food restaurant McDonald's and Sanders Court & Cafe, since they were incomparable. Still, Garlan spent about 10-15 minutes preparing the order. So it wasn't full-fledged fast food.
Already as a colonel, Garlan Sanders began to dress in classic clothes - a white suit and a black bow tie. This is how it is depicted on the KFC logos. This image quickly entered the hearts of ordinary Americans who fell in love with Sanders’s small establishment. During these years, Garlan had as many orders and money as he had never had in his entire life. He felt successful.
Of course, minor problems arose from time to time - with supplies, technical ones, once the building in which the Sanders motel was located burned down. There was money, and therefore it was already rebuilt again, and resumed its work a few months after the incident. In addition, state authorities tried to help Garlan, since his chicken was a Kentucky landmark. At least for other Americans.

This is the end, my friend?

But life dealt a blow to Sanders. In the 50s, the construction of Federal Highway 75 was completed. Sanders' restaurant was out of sight of Americans traveling from the north to Florida. The number of clients has dropped sharply. Once successful business rolled down. Sanders was already over 60 when he again lost his financial balance. It cannot be said that owning his own restaurant, Garlan was considered a rich man. No. But he certainly wasn't needy. Garlan Sanders did not dare to retire, especially without money.
After some thought, he came to the conclusion that he could sell his chickens to other restaurants. So, his numerous trips to other restaurants in America began, where he talked about the system of cooking chicken “according to Garlan Sanders.” And about your seasoning. It took a long time before he was able to find his first customer. Under the terms of the agreement, Sanders received only 5 cents for each of his chickens at each restaurant. Not bad, considering that order volumes were constantly growing. Needless to say, in the early 60s, several hundred US restaurants were clients of Garlan Sanders.
Just 4 years later, Kentucky Fried Chicken reaches the peak of its glory, and the old colonel decides to sell the company to private investors. Under the terms of the deal, he received $2 million in cash and a position as a company representative (essentially the face of the brand), for which he was paid about $250,000 a year. He only needed to meet with the press, clients, employees, in general - to conduct marketing for the leader, which he, however, was no longer.

In 1980, at the age of 90, Garlan Sanders died. In recent years, he has devoted quite a lot to himself - traveling, playing golf, running his own restaurant, Claudia Sanders’ Dinner House, with his wife. He was already disappointed in KFC, because he believed that in pursuit of low price and speed, the owners made a compromise on the quality of the chickens. However, the company’s history did not end with the death of the colonel...
Moreover, at one time it was even acquired by the famous Pepsi Co. Today, KFC is owned by Yum! Brands. The chain of these restaurants currently operates in more than 50 countries around the world. At the same time, the company prefers to use a co-branding strategy. For example, in Russia KFC chain presented together with our well-known brand “Rostiks”.
On at the moment The company employs about 24 thousand employees, and its income for last year amounted to just over half a billion dollars. Not bad, although not as good as KFC would like. The company really serious problems with Greenpeace. Moreover, nowadays many people have realized how harmful it is to eat fried food. They take care of their health and appearance, and therefore are not eager to visit KFC. And Colonel Sanders on the company logo, who was a kind of symbol of that generation, is little known today. The company needs transformation. Its management understands this too. Perhaps the coming years will show how they coped with this task.