Yum! Brands, the restaurant company responsible for Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and Habit Burger & Grill, is relocating the KFC U.S. corporate office in Louisville to Plano, Texas to be alongside the Pizza Hut global headquarters.
While Taco Bell and Habit Burger will remain headquartered in Irvine, California, Yum! is attempting to strengthen company culture by bringing the brands closer together.
“These changes position us for sustainable growth and will help us better serve our customers, employees, franchisees and shareholders,” said David Gibbs, Yum! Brands Chief Executive Officer. “Ultimately, bringing more of our people together on a consistent basis will maximize our unrivaled culture and talent as a competitive advantage. I’m confident this is another important step in growing our iconic restaurant brands globally.”
According to a news release, about 100 KFC corporate roles will transition to Plano in the next six months, and U.S. remote workers are being asked to relocate and work in-person, with 90 remote positions transitioning in the next 18 months.
So, Kentucky Fried Chicken is no longer based in Kentucky. However, the news release says the brand is commemorating its history in the state by providing a $1 million endowment to the University of Louisville and planning to build a flagship restaurant in the city.
This change comes a month after promoting Scott Mezvinsky, current CEO of Taco Bell, to CEO of KFC effective March 1.
“It is a tremendous honor to lead an iconic brand such as KFC and have the opportunity to work with talented, dedicated leaders and franchise partners around the world,” Mezvinsky said in a news release. “There aren’t many brands that are as well loved and well known as KFC, and I am very excited to play a role in continuing to strengthen and accelerate the growth of this legendary brand in virtually every corner of the world.”
So the KFC move might be a return home for Mezvinsky, who got his bachelor’s degree from Southern Methodist University in 1997. He also owned a house in East Dallas from 2009 to 2012.
