Hearts & Minds: Leaving Lousville for Texas a tough sell for KFC

The decision of KFC to relocate its corporate headquarters from Louisville, Kentucky 800 miles south-west to Plano in Texas has grabbed headlines. Predictably, whether it will be Kentucky Fried Chicken anymore or Texas Fried Chicken is constantly asked.

KFC’s parent owns several restaurant chains and the relocation is part of a larger plan to eventually have two brand headquarters, one in Plano and the other in Irvine, California. In addition to KFC employees moving, 90 members of the firm’s remote workforce will be heading to Texas. Not that the Kentucky connection will be entirely lost: the company and KFC Foundation plan to maintain offices in Louisville and will also open a flagship store in the city.

The accompanying corporate statement was: ‘These changes position us for sustainable growth and will help us better serve our customers, employers, franchisees and shareholders. Ultimately, bringing more of our people together on a consistent basis will maximise our unrivalled culture and talent as a competitive advantage.’

Phrases like ‘sustainable growth’ and ‘competitive advantage’ do not translate well to the top of the news schedules and bulletins, not when the Kentucky governor is ranting. ‘I am disappointed by this decision and believe the company's founder would be, too,’ Governor Andy Beshear said in a statement. ‘This company's name starts with Kentucky, and it has marketed our state's heritage and culture in the sale of its product.’

To be fair, it always was going to be tough. An expression of regret would have helped. So too might have been drawing attention, indirectly, to this not being the first time KFC has switched states. Indeed, that very founder, ‘Colonel’ Harland Sanders, sold the business in 1964 and watched as it switched base to Nashville, Tennessee. The Colonel was furious. ‘This ain't no goddam Tennessee Fried Chicken.’ That may have been so, but Sanders agreed to receive a lifetime salary and to be the company’s quality controller and trademark. It took another boss, a Kentucky native, John Young Brown, to bring it back home.

Still, it could have been worse. Elon Musk has moved his businesses from California to Texas and remains typically unmoved by West Coast dismay. ‘The Californians I know who moved to Texas are even extra Texan marinated in Texas sauce’ he wrote on X, the day after the presidential election. ‘For the love of God, please don’t let Texas become California.’

Chris Blackhurst is one of the UK’s foremost business journalists. He was previously Editor of The Independent and City Editor of the Evening Standard.