KFC U.S. headquarters are relocating from Kentucky to TexasKFC U.S. headquarters are relocating from Kentucky to Texas

Yum Brands, parent company of KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and Habit Burger & Grill, announced today plans to designate two brand headquarters in the United States — one in Plano, Texas, and one in Irvine, Calif.

The decision will relocate the KFC U.S. corporate headquarters from Louisville, Ky., to the Plano office, where the KFC and Pizza Hut Global teams currently exist. Taco Bell and Habit Burger & Grill will remain in Irvine, Calif.

Additionally, all U.S.-based remote employees will be asked to relocate to the campus where their work happens.

The relocation of approximately 100 KFC U.S. corporate roles will occur throughout the next six months, while the relocation of 90 remote positions will take place over the next 18 months. The company said employees will receive relocation and transition support.

In a release, Yum Brands said the decision was made to “foster greater collaboration among brands and employees.”

“These changes position us for sustainable growth and will help us better serve our customers, employees, franchisees and shareholders,” Yum chief executive officer David Gibbs said in a statement. “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.”

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KFC’s history traces back to 1930 in North Corbin, Kentucky, when Harland Sanders first started serving fried chicken at his cafe, Sanders' Café. The first Kentucky Fried Chicken franchised location opened in 1952 in Salt Lake City.

The KFC U.S. headquarters, also known as the “White House” because of its resemblance to the U.S. president’s home, were built in Louisville in 1970 and expanded into a second building in 1986. It houses both corporate offices and a museum paying homage to Sanders. Yum Brands and the KFC Foundation will continue to maintain corporate offices in Louisville.

Pizza Hut and Yum’s international businesses have been based in Plano since Yum was spun off from PepsiCo in 1997. Yum expanded its Plano campus in 2016 to support the company’s international growth. That same year, Yum’s top five executives, including then-CEO Greg Creed, relocated to Plano.

Yum said it will reaffirm its commitment to Kentucky by providing a $1 million endowment to the University of Louisville’s College of Business both to fund scholarships and support the Yum Center for Global Franchise Excellence, first established in 2021.

Related:In-N-Out Burger is closing one of its California headquarters

The company said it also has an “ambition of building a first-of-its-kind flagship restaurant” in Louisville, but did not disclose details about timing.

Yum's decision to relocate its KFC U.S. corporate office comes shortly after the brand named Catherine Tan-Gillespie as its new president and Scott Mezvinsky as CEO of the global division. The brand struggled through much of 2024, with same-store sales down 5% on the year.

Yum Brands includes more than 61,000 restaurants in more than 155 countries and territories under its four brands.

Contact Alicia Kelso at [email protected]