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FRANCHISE RESALES

Buy a KFC Franchise

KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) is the world’s largest chicken quick-service restaurant chain, with more than 30,000 locations across 145+ countries. Built on its Original Recipe fried chicken and a proprietary blend of 11 herbs and spices, KFC has been a global fast-food institution since Colonel Sanders began franchising in 1952. The brand is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM), the world’s largest restaurant company, which also owns Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and Habit Burger & Grill.

In the United States, KFC operates approximately 4,000 restaurants, with 99% of locations franchised. The model is a full-service QSR built around drive-thru, dine-in, and digital ordering channels, including the KFC App and third-party delivery through DoorDash, Grubhub, and UberEats. The current American Showman restaurant format represents more than 70% of the US franchise estate.

As part of Yum! Brands, KFC franchisees access the infrastructure of the world’s largest restaurant company, including shared technology investments, procurement resources, and system-wide best practices developed across more than 63,000 restaurants in 155+ countries.

Latest Resales

  • There are currently no KFC resales available
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Why buy a KFC Franchise?

Buying a KFC franchise means joining the world’s largest chicken QSR brand, backed by Yum! Brands’ infrastructure of more than 63,000 restaurants across 155+ countries. The brand’s scale gives franchisees marketing leverage that independent operators cannot match: national advertising campaigns that reach more than 185 million US consumers weekly, a branded app driving digital orders, and delivery integrations with DoorDash, Grubhub, and UberEats.

Yum! Brands adds operational depth through system-wide technology investments, procurement advantages, and access to the Yum! Global Center for Franchise Excellence for ongoing education and leadership development. KFC also pairs new franchisees with a mentoring programme connecting them to experienced multi-unit operators within the network.

KFC Franchise Costs & Information

Based on 2025 data reported in the 2026 FDD

  • Brand Profile

    • Year Founded

      1930

    • Franchising Since

      1952

    • New Startup Cost

      $1,207,575 – $4,155,000

    • Avg. Resale Price

      Contact us for details

  • Franchise Fees

    • Initial franchise Fee

      $45,000

      for new territories

    • Transfer Fee

      $9,600

      $4,800 to existing franchisee

    • Royalty Fee

      4–5.25%

      of Gross Revenue or $1,440/mo min

    • Marketing Fee

      4.50%

      of Gross Revenue

  • Unit Performance

    • Total Units *

      3490

    • New Units Opened *

      9

    • Units Transferred *

      30

    • Avg. Unit revenue *

      Not Disclosed

    * Based on 2025 data reported in the 2026 FDD

KFC – Additional  Information

  1. Training & Support

    KFC's franchisee onboarding follows a 10-week process that combines on-the-job restaurant training with approximately 1.5 days of classroom instruction. The franchisor pairs new franchisees with a mentoring programme connecting them to experienced operators within the system. Ongoing support covers dynamic market planning tools, national marketing campaigns managed at the brand level, and digital platform support for the KFC App and delivery integrations. Resale buyers should confirm with KFC what transfer training and system access are available when ownership changes hands.

  2. Ideal Owner

    KFC favours multi-unit operators with prior restaurant or retail management experience. Day-to-day ownership is staffing-led: franchisees manage hourly team members and unit managers, uphold food safety and quality standards, and oversee operations in a high-volume QSR environment. Yum! Brands describes its preferred partner as well capitalized, capable, and committed, with solid team-building and employee development skills. Active engagement in operations is expected; this is not a model designed for absentee ownership.

  3. Recognition & Awards

    KFC placed #12 in the Entrepreneur Franchise 500 in 2024 and #3 in the Franchise Times Top 400 in 2025 by system sales. Technomic ranked KFC #20 in its Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report for 2025. Ad Age named KFC Campaign of the Year in 2018, and Marketing Week Masters designated it Brand of the Year in 2021. As part of Yum! Brands, KFC operates within one of the world's most recognized restaurant groups. For resale buyers, system-level recognition should be weighed alongside the specific unit's local reputation and customer relationship strength.

  4. Industry / Market

    The US fast food chicken restaurant market reached approximately $63.7 billion in revenue in 2026, according to IBISWorld, with US chicken QSRs recording nearly 9% growth in 2024. Demand is driven by consistent consumer preference for convenient, value-driven protein-centred meals, and the category has historically proved resilient across economic cycles. Competition within the US chicken segment has intensified as newer concepts gain market share, making unit-level sales performance and trade area demographics important factors for resale buyers to examine.

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