This Country Has More KFC Restaurants Than The United States

When Colonel Sanders launched Kentucky Fried Chicken back in the 1950s, he likely never could have pictured what it would become today. Thanks to Sanders' 11-spice fried chicken mixture, along with the power of franchising, KFC is now one of the most popular fast-food chicken options in the world.

In 1952, the first KFC franchise opened in Salt Lake City, Utah, according to the fast food chain's website. From there, Sanders went on the road in an effort to launch new KFC franchises, eventually growing the brand across the country. The Colonel's cooking had attracted a lot of fans, which helped Sanders sell his idea to those willing to start their own franchise. After years of success, he sold the company to investors in 1964, though he continued on as a spokesperson for the chain.

These days, there are more than 24,000 KFC locations around the globe. And though the chicken chain started in America, there's now one country that boasts more KFC locations than the United States.

Years ago, KFC made a business decision that changed the course of its profits forever. It chose to expand into China at a time when the fast food market was just starting to get off the ground in the country. According to Business Insider, KFC started establishing a presence in China in the late 1980s, putting its first location near the Great Wall. The strategic move essentially guaranteed that KFC would at least have a customer base of tourists. Eventually, though, the product grew on locals, too, and KFC continued expanding throughout the country.

In 2017, KFC made nearly $5 billion dollars in China — the most of any fast-food chain in that country. Since then, other chain like McDonald's have continued to make waves throughout China, though for now, KFC still runs the show. As of 2018, KFC has 5,200 Chinese locations; McDonald's had fewer than half of that.