{"id":139542,"date":"2026-07-18T12:14:28","date_gmt":"2026-07-18T16:14:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cablemanpro.com\/wallstreetpr\/why-kfc-stopped-calling-itself-kentucky-fried-chicken-and-the-myths-that-still-wont-die-139542"},"modified":"2026-07-18T12:14:28","modified_gmt":"2026-07-18T16:14:28","slug":"why-kfc-stopped-calling-itself-kentucky-fried-chicken-and-the-myths-that-still-wont-die","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cablemanpro.com\/wallstreetpr\/why-kfc-stopped-calling-itself-kentucky-fried-chicken-and-the-myths-that-still-wont-die-139542","title":{"rendered":"Why KFC stopped calling itself Kentucky Fried Chicken \u2014 and the myths that still won’t die"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Kentucky Fried Chicken officially shortened its name to KFC in 1991, and the reason behind the rebranding<\/a> has fueled rumors ever since.<\/p>\n

One persistent myth falsely claims the Commonwealth of Kentucky trademarked the state’s name and forced the company to pay licensing fees.<\/p>\n

Another urban legend alleged KFC was breeding extra-large, “genetically modified organisms” with extra legs, so they couldn\u2019t technically call their signature dish “chicken” anymore.<\/p>\n

THE KFC MENU ITEM COLONEL SANDERS HATED BECAME ONE OF THE CHAIN’S BIGGEST STAPLES<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

The mutant chicken rumors resulted in Chinese courts finding several companies liable for spreading false claims that damaged KFC\u2019s reputation. KFC China won a defamation lawsuit that resulted in three tech firms being fined for damaging KFC\u2019s brand, Reuters reported<\/a> in 2016.<\/p>\n

Another theory is that the updated name was intended to distance the restaurant chain from unhealthy connotations with fried food, according to The Takeout.<\/a><\/p>\n

Kentucky Fried Chicken was “struggling with declining earnings, higher prices and an evil word in its name \u2014 fried” when it changed its name, reported the Lexington Herald Leader.<\/a> Around the same period, the chain also introduced skinless fried chicken, first called “Lite\u2019n Crispy,” and later sold as “Skinfree Crispy.”<\/p>\n

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

“Fried chicken on the bone is not growing as fast as the entire poultry segment,” Kyle T. Craig, president of Kentucky Fried Chicken USA, said in a 1991 interview with United Press International.<\/a><\/p>\n

“We want to position KFC to a more contemporary image,” he said, adding, “Fried is not a contemporary image.”<\/p>\n

KFC\u2019s website includes company history that says its founder, Harland Sanders, opened a roadside service station in 1930 and began serving his southern-style chicken<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Colonel Sanders\u2019 original establishment was called Sanders Court & Cafe, according to the Sanders Cafe and Museum,<\/a> located in Corbin, “the birthplace of Kentucky Fried Chicken.”<\/p>\n

“Originally established in 1937 as a gas station along U.S. Route 25, Sanders Court eventually expanded to include a motel and caf\u00e9 where the Colonel offered guests a hot meal and a place to rest along their journey,” the museum website says.<\/p>\n

CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE NEWS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

KFC website’s timeline does not extend beyond 1980, but notes its founder’s legacy “lives on through his Original Recipe chicken, and the company logo adapts over the years, with the Colonel\u2019s face remaining at the forefront of the design.”<\/p>\n

KFC\u2019s name change happened in an era when other big companies were taking branding and logos very seriously, Ken Albala, professor of history at the University of the Pacific, told Fox News Digital. It was around that time that Coca-Cola increasingly marketed itself as Coke, he said.<\/p>\n

“Many companies were redesigning logos and having a deep think into how the character of the font face and the logo and the actual name of the company would attract younger audiences and be immediately recognizable, even to people who didn’t know English,” Albala said.<\/p>\n

KFC was trying to save space in advertising and make a bigger impression on people, Albala suggested.<\/p>\n

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

“\u2018Kentucky Fried Chicken\u2019 takes up a whole lot of space on a sign and with a logo, and especially online,” he said.<\/p>\n

“If you see an ad, and you have to read through it, it takes you that millisecond longer than just lettering. [KFC is] trying to get people [from off] the highway and in a city among all sorts of other urban noise. And if you can recognize those letters, you\u2019ve got a customer.”<\/p>\n

According to the company website, KFC has “the widest global footprint of any quick-service restaurant brand<\/a> with 30,000-plus restaurants in 150 countries and is one of the world\u2019s fastest-growing retail brands.”<\/p>\n

The chain is rolling out a brand overhaul that includes an expanded menu and restaurant design, Fox News Digital previously reported.<\/a><\/p>\n

The brand\u2019s recognizable bucket will be “refreshed with new energy alongside a subtle evolution of the Colonel himself, ensuring the brand\u2019s legacy remains front and center,” KFC said.<\/p>\n

Fox News Digital reached out to KFC for comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Source – https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/food-drink\/why-kfc-stopped-calling-itself-kentucky-fried-chicken-myths-still-wont-die <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kentucky Fried Chicken officially shortened its name to KFC in 1991, and the reason behind the rebranding has fueled rumors ever since. One persistent myth […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"twitter_2902945987_2902945987":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[16563],"tags":[],"stock_ticker":[],"class_list":["post-139542","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-market-news","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhy KFC stopped calling itself Kentucky Fried Chicken \u2014 and the myths that still won't die - Wall Street PR<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cablemanpro.com\/wallstreetpr\/why-kfc-stopped-calling-itself-kentucky-fried-chicken-and-the-myths-that-still-wont-die-139542\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why KFC stopped calling itself Kentucky Fried Chicken \u2014 and the myths that still won't die - Wall Street PR\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Kentucky Fried Chicken officially shortened its name to KFC in 1991, and the reason behind the rebranding has fueled rumors ever since. 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