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Biography of the founder of the KFC chain. KFC Founder - Colonel Sanders

“After I said the sinner's prayer, it completely changed my life. It really made a difference in me." - Colonel Sanders, founder of KFC.

The most famous founder of the fast food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken, Colonel Harland Sanders David was born on September 9, 1890 in Henryville, Indiana. After his father died when he was 6 years old, his mother had to go to work, and Sanders began to take care of his younger brother and sister on his own.

Harland Sanders David

By the way, this predetermined his fate, since Sanders began to cook a lot and cook quite tasty, while all his relatives began to note that he little boy I have excellent abilities for this matter. However, he began to earn his living from this only 30 years later.

After some time, his mother remarried, and Sanders went to work. It should be noted that none of his works were his favorite - and he had enough works. And what the future millionaire did was a farmer, a tram conductor, a private in the American army, a blacksmith's assistant, a locomotive fireman, a legal trainee in court, an insurance agent, a furniture loader, a ferry captain, a salesman. car tires and a car mechanic.

Perhaps, of all his jobs, the happiest was working as a fireman on a steam locomotive - it was at that time that he decided to propose to his beloved Claudia, who supported him throughout family life and always believed in her beloved Harland. But the most fateful and even “title-bearing” job was working in a car repair shop.

By that time, most of his life had already flown by, and he was still a small man who had achieved nothing, he did not have enough money to live for his own pleasure. He was disappointed in life. And, of course, he wanted to change it.

Yes, Harland was already 40 years old when he opened his first successful business - an auto repair shop on Route 25, along which south of northern states many Americans were traveling. The car service began to generate decent income.

It must be admitted that Sanders showed himself here not only as a practical businessman, but also was extremely insightful - after observing the often hungry tourists staying with him, he decided to open his own dining room, where he personally fried incomparable chickens, adding his own unique seasoning!

Chicken meat became extremely popular, bringing incredible income to the budget. A significant event in Sanders' life occurred in 1935, when the governor of Kentucky awarded Harland the title of "Kentucky Colonel" for his services to the state. Indeed, they were great - after all, throughout the area they were talking about “ National dish» State by Harland Sanders.

But soon life began to crack again - the construction of a new highway was completed, onto which the entire stream that had previously passed by Harland’s auto repair shop was driven away.

It would seem like a failure again, his age is no longer young - 62 years old, Harland has almost given up.

And then... fried chicken came to his rescue! Yes, that’s right, Harland tensed up, packed his suitcase and went to drive around to nearby restaurants with the only phrase: “I can cook.” fried chicken better than you." And he was refused again and again; an excellent cook in his advanced years was suspiciously examined from head to toe and often not even allowed onto the threshold.

It took a long time before he was able to find his first customer. Under the terms of the agreement, Sanders received only 5 cents for each of his chickens at each restaurant. Not bad, considering that order volumes were constantly growing. Needless to say, already in the early 60s, several hundred US restaurants were clients of Harland Sanders.

And then Harland Sanders’ wish came true - he realized himself 100%. He found his favorite job, completely surrendering to his talent. He made others believe in themselves!

When he was 70 years old, Kentucky Fried Chicken reached the peak of its fame, and the old colonel decided to sell the company to private investors for $2 million and a position as a company representative (the face of the brand), for which he was paid about $250 thousand a year.

He only needed to meet with the press, clients, employees, in general - to conduct marketing for the leader, which he, however, was no longer. But he didn’t need it.

In 1980, at the age of 90, Harland Sanders died. In recent years, he has devoted quite a lot to himself - traveling, playing golf, and running his own restaurant, Claudia Sanders’ Dinner House, with his wife. Colonel Harland Sanders was able to make his life complete.

This part of David Harland Sanders' biography may be known to many, but there is a lesser known part of his life story. However, one American preacher and author has done his best to change that.

Dr. Bob Rogers, whose father Waymon Rogers was a Colonel pastor, wrote a book about the legendary fried chicken entrepreneur. In this book he reveals amazing facts about the founder of the KFC restaurant chain, Colonel Sanders. In it, he tells the story of how his father baptized this famous billionaire in the Jordan River in 1967, shortly after he became a Christian.

Rogers writes: “My dad knelt down next to him and asked, “Colonel, would you like to be born again?” The old colonel said with tears in his eyes, “I really want to, do you think Jesus can really save me and free me from what I curse?” Then dad said, “Colonel, God will save you tonight and you will never fight again.” That night the colonel sincerely accepted Christ into his heart. He was truly born again and became a new creation in Christ Jesus. From then on he never used the Lord's Name in vain.

A few days after his rescue, the colonel donated $15,000 to Pastor Rogers' church in Louisville, Kentucky - a very important sum at that time.

The colonel told the pastor: “After I said the sinner’s prayer, it completely changed my life. It really made a difference in me." "I'm ready to give a large amount money, I want to tithe the church.”

Dr. Rogers' book also tells how the Colonel experienced supernatural healing when colon surgery was scheduled to stop the disease from progressing further. He was awaiting surgery in the hospital when his pastor, Rogers, came to pray for him. A day later, Sanders wrote: “I no longer need surgery, my pastor came and prayed for me and God healed me!”

The doctor said: “Colonel, when I examined you again, there were no polyps!” Founder of KFC gave generous donations to the church for many years.

He later said: “My prayers have always been out of gratitude. God has been so merciful to me. I've always believed in tithing." “The Bible says you are obligated to give 10% to God. I believe that even if you are a fraudster, you still owe 10% to the Lord, at least for the fact that you breathe. Tithing is a great inspiration in my life."

Colonel Sanders is the man Americans are trying to emulate. He rose out of poverty and became a millionaire, making his dream come true.

Family and childhood

David Harland Sanders was born in Henryville, Indiana on September 9, 1890. At the age of six, the boy suddenly loses his beloved father. Financial difficulties forcing the mother to go to work in order to earn a piece of bread.

A small child becomes the eldest in the family and takes responsibility for raising his younger brother and sister. Exactly at this period life, the guy discovers the endless world of cooking. Family and relatives noted the child’s ability to cook, but only decades later would Sanders’ culinary skills bring real profit.

Difficulties of life and first love

Soon mom falls in love and gets married. David has to earn his own money. The guy changes dozens of jobs, masters several professions. Sanders worked as a tire salesman, insurance agent, farmer, locomotive fireman, auto mechanic, ferry captain, and conductor. However, not a single specialty was to my liking. The only area of activity that was memorable young man- fireman. During this period of his life, David meets and falls in love with a beautiful girl, Claudia, who will support him throughout his married life.

On the way to success

Most of his life passes, Sanders is forty years old, he is disappointed in life. A constant lack of money and lack of prospects force a man to change his worldview. Harland decides to open his own business - a car service on the highway connecting the north and south of the country. The auto repair shop was in great demand among car owners. The enterprise began to make good profits.

While working in the workshop, Sanders notices a trend that will make him millions in the future. Most auto tourists travel hungry. David decides to open a mini canteen next to the workshop, where he fries chicken himself, flavoring the dishes with unique seasonings of his own making.

Why "Colonel"?

Fried chicken was extremely popular. The Sanders family budget has been replenished with another source of income. David's chicken was so beloved by Americans that it was called the "National Dish of the State." As a reward, Sanders receives the title of “Kentucky Colonel” from the governor.

Hope and Perseverance

Soon white stripe life ends. The authorities built a new highway, which was preferred by most of David's clients. The entrepreneur finally despairs, because he is already 62 years old. He is again trying to gather his thoughts in order to determine a strategy for getting out of the current crisis.

The solution comes naturally - fried chicken comes to the rescue again. A businessman packs his bags to travel around America. He visits restaurants and establishments Catering, where he offers his own for implementation unique recipe fried chicken. The elderly cook is constantly turned down.

History of success

After several months of fruitless wandering, Sanders finds his first client, who offered David 5 cents for every chicken sold. The entrepreneur agrees and continues to travel around the United States with his culinary offer. In the early 60s, Sanders' chicken was sold in hundreds of restaurants across America.

Finally, David realized himself as a businessman. He is completely satisfied with the results of his activities, having devoted himself to unsurpassed culinary talent. At 70 years old, the Kentucky Fried Chicken brand reaches its peak of popularity, and Colonel Sanders sells the brand to international investors for two million dollars. The new owners persuade David to remain as head of marketing and sales, and he agrees.

The end of life's journey

Sanders Harland died at age 90 in 1980. The colonel devoted the rest of his life to relaxation - having fun, playing golf, and traveling a lot. He and his wife also developed their new restaurant, Claudia Sanders’ Dinner House. All the entrepreneur’s dreams came true - he managed to fill his life with meaning and become happy.

Colonel Sanders (KFC founder, Garland David Sanders) - founder of the large famous fast food chain KFC (Kentucky Fired Chicken, literal translation from in English- "Kentucky Fried Chicken") The most recognizable and widespread specialty of the house KFC chain is breaded fried chicken with the addition of a variety of aromatic spices and herbs.

The portrait of the founder of the famous fast food chain KFC is traditionally installed in each establishment as a stylized outline of the company. The success story of Colonel Sanders is filled with amazing events that can only happen to a strong-willed person. This entrepreneur is a true hardworker and the architect of his own happiness. Colonel Sanders, his story is an example of how in difficult times life situations Don't give up. His life credo is to run towards his goals and dreams with an unprincipled zeal for success.

Colonel Sanders: biography

Garland David Sanders was born on September 9, 1890 in Henryville, Indiana (United States of America). His father, Wilbur David Sanders, was the heir to a wealthy Presbyterian family, and his mother was Margaret Ann Sanders (Dunleavy's maiden name). Unfortunately, young Garland lost his father when he was six years old. The mother worked day and night to somehow feed the family. In view of this, the boy always remained at home alone and was responsible for preparing food. Garland quickly became addicted to cooking; it was difficult to convince him that the kitchen was the domain of women's concerns. Who knew that culinary skills would predetermine the future fate of the young man, and he would become a major millionaire. In his studies, Sanders Jr. did not shine at all with his intelligence - the guy constantly skipped classes and refused to do homework. Soon, in 1902, he was expelled from school without being allowed to finish the seventh grade. Garland was not at all upset about this, because he dreamed of living an adult life and earning money. The twelve-year-old boy managed to work a lot - he washed cars, worked as a loader at local market, and also sold homemade pies to passers-by in local neighborhoods.

Young Garland runs away from home

A few years after the death of her husband, Margaret Ann Sanders (mother) starts new novel with a man and soon marries him. Family changes did not turn out well for Sanders Jr. - his stepfather constantly beat and humiliated him. Without thinking twice, the guy runs away from home and moves to the city of New Alban, which is located in the same state (Indiana). This is where he lived dear uncle, who received Garland with warmth.

Early onset of adulthood - 15-year-old future millionaire enlists in the US Army using fake documents

In 1906, difficult military-political events unfolded on the island of the same name and the state of Cuba. Cubans protested against the occupation by American troops. The Ministry of the United States of America decided to organize a campaign for voluntary entry into the ranks of the national army in order to prevent popular unrest in the controlled state. At this time, Sanders decides that he needs to become a military man by any means, but the guy only recently turned fifteen years old. Thinking about how to deceive everyone and start serving his homeland, Garland, with simple manipulations, forges his own documents, where he indicates his majority. Oddly enough, the clever Sanders's scam was successful - the guy became a soldier in the national army of the United States of America. He was assigned to the military logistics division. Initially, the guy was supposed to monitor logistics, as well as keep inventory records for the supply of ammunition. However, no one ever entrusted him with this task. As a result, they found a dubious alternative: due to short and frail muscles, he was assigned to the army stables to remove manure. In his autobiography, this is stated as follows: “All I did in the service was shovel horse manure with my bare hands and monitor the hygiene of these long-legged animals.”

During his service, Garland contracted some kind of climate disease, thanks to which he lost 20 kilograms. Having lost literally a third of his weight, Sanders spent some time in a military hospital, but quickly recovered. As a result, Garland finished his service with honors. Demobilized Sanders took a ferry by sea to the port of New Orleans. Having reached the first railroad junction, he boarded a freight train that was traveling along the Mississippi River. Ultimately, the guy reached the city of St. Louis (Missouri).

An alternative version of Sanders' biography after the army

There is another version of events after demobilization: some sources indicate that Colonel Sanders, upon arriving on the continent, traveled to Alabama, where he immediately found work as an assistant in a blacksmith shop. Here he worked in many ways in the future - he washed rail rolling stock at a railway station, worked as an intercity tram conductor, and was also a locomotive fireman, a loader at a furniture factory, an insurance agent, a mechanic in a car repair shop, a ferry captain, a manager of a tire repair company and even an intern courses in jurisprudence in the local court. Colonel Sanders noted that none of his above-mentioned jobs brought him pleasure. Having experienced first-hand the charm of many professions, he realized that he needed to do what he loved - develop the restaurant business.

Studying at university can always be combined with work

A few years later, Colonel Sanders moved to live in Tennessee. Here he got a job as an ordinary worker in the department fire safety and entered LaSalle University for extramural in the city of Chicago. Garland skillfully combined study and work. To his great surprise, he received high grades and also successfully completed all exams. When he worked in the fire department, he had a conflict with one of the employees - a fight broke out, as a result of which Sanders was fired from his position. Then he decides to move to the city of Arkansas and get a job new job(Here he worked in a mine for some time, and then got a job on a farm). Despite this, Sanders successfully completed his university studies.

Happy moments of life: meeting his future wife Claudia and first business

Colonel Sanders (photo below) always mentioned that in his difficult life he constantly earned his living in an unloved profession.

And this is true, because his profession was not the best. However, he received his greatest happiness when he worked as a fireman for the thermal apparatus of a steam locomotive, because at that time he met his love - future wife Claudius. Being, roughly speaking, a nobody, he dared to propose to her, to which he heard an immediate “yes.” His young wife inspired him with love and care every day, so Sanders always considered himself happy man. After several years of working on a steam locomotive, Garland got a job as a mechanic in an auto repair shop. And this profession also became no less fateful than the previous one.

He was no longer a young boy. Forty-year-old Sanders was filled with ambition and the desire to achieve more in order to live happily with his wife. A few years later, he opens his own business - an auto repair shop on the twenty-fifth highway, where many long-haul and passenger cars from the northern states of the United States often rush by. This business began to enjoy success because the prudent Garland established his auto repair shop in a favorable (from a marketing point of view) place where there is constant demand. A lot of money began to appear in the Sanders family. It is worth noting that the colonel turned out to be a very enterprising person - he showed himself not only as successful businessman, but also as a talented forecaster. Garland (Colonel Sanders) concluded that his visitors were hungry tourists or truckers coming from the far north of the country. Based on this, he decides to open a small dining room here, where at first he prepared various dishes himself. Already at that time, the future millionaire developed his own unique recipe for breaded fried chicken. Word began to spread around the area that they were preparing incredible chicken on Route 25.

Title "Kentucky Colonel Sanders"

Colonel Sanders' recipes were kept secret, and the number of people in his establishment only increased. Two well-established businesses, a canteen and an auto repair shop, brought incredible income to his family. Life began to gradually improve. In 1935, the governor of Kentucky honored Garland with the title "Kentucky Colonel Sanders" for making his signature dish a state treasure. Everyone was excited about Kentucky's new "national dish."

In the early 50s, Colonel Sanders developed his own image - he grew an elegant beard and neat mustache, creating the image of an aristocratic pedant professor. Also his business card There was a white tuxedo. All this was complemented by a neat ribbon tie. In this guise he constantly appeared in public. Rumor has it that Sanders had whole set there were about 50 identical white suits - for all seasons. Garland did not purchase clothing from shopping centers and clothing stores, and loved to order suits from the studio.

Serious business failures - bankruptcy

Sanders' business was a success for just over fifteen years, constantly improving his recipes and surprising his customers. delicious food. At the age of 62, Colonel Sanders suffered a setback when years of construction on another newer and larger highway ended a few kilometers away. The businessman lost 90 percent of potential buyers. At this time, Garland was very depressed, because such a fate in retirement age he couldn't foresee. However, the future millionaire and founder of KFS, Colonel Sanders, did not give up and continued to fight the pitfalls of fate.

Kentucky Fried Chicken is back to the rescue.

While he was thinking about how to continue to make a living, Garland came up with the idea that his unique fried chicken recipe could be presented to several large restaurants and charged for it. monetary reward or a contract that will provide a percentage of the proceeds for the sale of his signature dish. Colonel Sanders gathered his thoughts, filled his suitcase with the necessary things and began to walk around the large restaurants of the state, declaring only one phrase: “I cook a better fried chicken dish than you.” Such a daring and arrogant statement was perceived with contempt - Garland was refused everywhere, the businessman was sent away with a lot of unflattering words addressed to him.

The “Kentucky Colonel” did not become upset, but only continued to distribute offers to all catering establishments. He was rejected a little more than a thousand times. We had to wait quite some time to find our first customer. Gradually, his signature dish began to spread throughout the country, and potential businessmen themselves turned to the colonel with a request for an agreement. At first, the terms of the contract stated that for each portion sold, Colonel Sanders would receive 5 cents (later the interest rate only increased). The monopoly of “breaded wings” was already bringing in fabulous money by the early 60s. Hundreds of restaurants called KFC began to open across all states of America. Colonel Sanders could not believe for a long time that he managed to surpass his goals and himself, especially at such an age! From now on, he felt incredibly happy because he had found his calling. His talent and determination made the public believe in success.

Sale of KFC

As Colonel Sanders (photo below) celebrated his 70th birthday, the idea occurred to him that it was time to retire. Soon the successful businessman announces the sale of the KFC company. This news was immediately picked up by investors. As a result, Garland sells his brainchild for two million dollars. In addition, he will receive $250 thousand a year as a brand ambassador (a stylized portrait of Colonel Sanders). Now his activity is that he needs to “shine his face” everywhere and represent the popular KFC brand. A successful retired millionaire must communicate with the press and be the leader of the company from a marketing standpoint. By rights, Sanders was no longer the owner of a fast food chain, but he no longer needed it at all.

The end of Colonel Sanders' story

On December 16, 1980, 90-year-old Garland David Sanders died. He lived a difficult life, but happy life. At retirement age, he achieved incredible heights in business, which allowed him to live his last years in complete prosperity. The Colonel loved to travel, play golf, and visit his favorite restaurant called Claudia Sander's Dinner House, which he gave to his beloved wife. That was Colonel Sanders. History demonstrates it beautiful life which is full happy moments and long-awaited joy.

A few months before his death, he said the following words: “I always wanted to make a lot of money, but I never saw the global meaning in it. Why be rich in a cemetery? There you will no longer be able to manage your money. Many people do not suspect that I gave most of the money I earned to donate to orphans, and also sponsored many churches.” These quotes from Colonel Sanders reveal the full meaning of his warm and kind soul. This man left behind a huge mark and will be remembered for a very long time. Garland David Sanders's grave is in Louisville.

Colonel Sanders - Trotsky

Have you noticed the similarity between these two people? It is obvious! The names Sanders and Trotsky are mentioned quite often, creating many “memes” and “demotivators.”

There is a story about this story: “Not many people know that in 1913, members of the American Socialist Party gave Leon Trotsky a US passport in the name of Garland Sanders. This was originally done symbolically, as a joke about the similarity of the two people. However, in 1935 Lev Davydovich used this document when he fled from Norway to the USA (due to diplomatic pressure from the USSR). The American authorities made an exceptional compromise for the Bolshevik and allowed him to enter the country with only one condition - not to engage in political activity on the territory of the USA. The condition was met, but Trotsky in the 60s managed to develop an entire chain of restaurants called K for Communist, which is identical in acronym to the popular fast food KFC.” Well, the public’s imagination is fine...

“After I said the sinner's prayer, it completely changed my life. It really made a difference in me." - Colonel Sanders, founder of KFC. The most famous founder of the fast food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken, Colonel Harland Sanders David was born on September 9, 1890 in Henryville, Indiana. After his father died when he was 6 years old, his mother had to go to work, and Sanders began to take care of his younger brother and sister on his own.

By the way, this predetermined his fate, since Sanders began to cook a lot and cook quite tasty, while all the relatives began to note that the little boy had excellent abilities for this matter. However, he began to earn his living from this only 30 years later.

Perhaps, of all his jobs, the happiest was working as a fireman on a steam locomotive - it was at that time that he decided to propose to his beloved Claudia, who supported him throughout his family life and always believed in her beloved Harland. But the most fateful and even “title-bearing” job was working in a car repair shop.

Yes, Harland was already 40 years old when he opened his first successful business - an auto repair shop on Route 25, along which many Americans traveled south from the northern states. The car service began to generate decent income.

But soon life began to crack again - the construction of a new highway was completed, onto which the entire stream that had previously passed by Harland’s auto repair shop was driven away.

It would seem like a failure again, his age is no longer young - 62 years old, Harland has almost given up.

And then... fried chicken came to his rescue! Yes, that’s right, Harland tensed up, packed his suitcase and went to drive around to nearby restaurants with the only phrase: “I can cook fried chicken better than you.” And he was refused again and again; an excellent cook in his advanced years was suspiciously examined from head to toe and often not even allowed onto the threshold.

And then Harland Sanders’ wish came true - he realized himself 100%. He found his favorite job, completely surrendering to his talent. He made others believe in themselves!

He only needed to meet with the press, clients, employees, in general - to conduct marketing for the leader, which he, however, was no longer. But he didn’t need it.

This part of David Harland Sanders' biography may be known to many, but there is a lesser known part of his life story. However, one American preacher and author has done his best to change that.

Dr. Bob Rogers, whose father Waymon Rogers was a Colonel pastor, wrote a book about the legendary fried chicken entrepreneur. In this book, he reveals surprising facts about the founder of the KFC restaurant chain, Colonel Sanders. In it, he tells the story of how his father baptized this famous billionaire in the Jordan River in 1967, shortly after he became a Christian.

A few days after his rescue, the colonel donated $15,000 to Pastor Rogers' church in Louisville, Kentucky - a very important sum at that time.

The colonel told the pastor: “After I said the sinner’s prayer, it completely changed my life. It really made a difference in me." “I am ready to give a large amount of money, I want to give a tithe to the church.”

The doctor said: “Colonel, when I examined you again, there were no polyps!” The founder of KFC has given generously to the church for many years.

The History of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC)

Harland David Sanders, better known by his pseudonym Colonel Sanders (September 9, 1890 - December 16, 1980) - founder of the Kentucky Fried Chicken fast food restaurant chain (KFC). ), He was the first to turn chicken frying into a multi-million dollar business in 1952. His signature recipe is pieces of batter-fried chicken seasoned with a mixture of aromatic herbs and spices. His stylized portrait is traditionally depicted on all restaurants of his chain and on branded packaging. In fact, Sanders was never an army officer. The rank of "Colonel" is an honorary title awarded annually by the Governor of a state for distinguished service in public life state.

He completed only six grades, and fried his first chickens at the age of six. He opened his own restaurant only at the age of 47, and his fried chicken became the culinary symbol of the state of Kentucky.

The year 1945 was eventful: Nazi Germany capitulated, the Americans dropped atomic bomb to Japan, and the discoverer of penicillin, Alexander Fleming, was awarded the Nobel Prize.

But everything was calm in the life of 55-year-old Garlan Sanders, who ran a small restaurant under the same roof as a motel in the American state of Kentucky. Sanders had lived a troubled life and now enjoyed peace and stability. He loved to cook - and his food was considered the best in the state. He wanted to have own house and family - he lived in his own motel, and the whole family loved the fried chicken he cooked. His vanity was fully satisfied with the honorary title of “Kentucky Colonel” (analogous to our title of honorary citizen). And now Sanders reasonably believed that it would be too presumptuous of him to want more. When well-fed and satisfied customers asked Garlan if he was thinking of opening a second restaurant somewhere, Sanders smiled and said that he was too old for such adventures.

Conductor, private, fireman, loader, car mechanic

Harlan Sanders was born on September 9, 1890 in small town Henryville in the US state of Indiana. Garlan's dad earned his living by doing auxiliary work for local farmers. He earned little, but his mother could afford to look after the children. But when Sanders was six years old, his father died suddenly. To feed the children, the mother had to go to work, and little Garlan remained at home all day in charge of younger brother and sister. This life revealed his real talent for cooking. In just a few months, Sanders learned to cook all the family's popular dishes. There was no question of studying in such a situation. Garlan had no time to attend school regularly, and no money for college. At the age of 10, he got a job as a worker on a nearby farm with a monthly salary of $2. Two years later, his mother remarried, and Garlan was sent out of sight to work on a farm in the nearby town of Greenwood. At the age of 14, Sanders dropped out of school completely. In total, he studied there for six classes - this was the only systematic education in his life.

From that moment on, Sanders led a semi-vagrant life, changing his activities and habitats as soon as he became tired of them.

Having abandoned farming at the age of 15, he got a job as a tram conductor in New Albany, Indiana. At the age of 16, he enlisted in the American army and went to serve as a private in Cuba, which was then actually an American colony. Garlan fled from there six months later to become a blacksmith's assistant. But there, in his opinion, the pay was clearly not enough for a decent existence. Then he got a job as a locomotive fireman for a railway company. Everything went so well there that Garlan even plucked up the courage to propose to Claudia, who accepted the proposal. Soon they had their first child - and then Sanders was fired. However, Claudia loved Garlan enough to stoically endure his constant rushing from one job to another.

At one time, Sanders even decided to engage in mental work - he enrolled in correspondence law courses and got a job practicing in court. However, after a few months he became bored with this activity. After that, and until age 40, Garlan tried other jobs as an insurance agent, furniture mover, Ohio River ferry captain, tire salesman, and auto mechanic.

"Order of Kentucky Colonels" So, unbeknownst to himself, Sanders approached the fifth decade. He celebrated his 40th birthday in deep depression: his youth was gone, and somehow it turned out that he had neither his own home nor even permanent job

. At that moment, he heard on the radio a speech by the then famous comedian Will Rogers, who said in his humoresque that “life begins only at the age of forty.” Garlan later said that “that radio broadcast changed my life.” From now on, he decided to work only for himself, since he had small savings.

Things slowly got going, and soon Sanders decided to offer the road-weary visitors some food, especially since he loved to cook. He prepared the food himself in his home kitchen, and the room for clients could only accommodate one dining table and six chairs. The basis of the modest menu was fried chicken, which Garlan was especially successful at. Soon Sanders had his own regulars, and a year later Garlan was somewhat surprised to discover that his miserable eatery brought in the lion's share of the enterprise's income. Then he called his chicken "Garlan Sanders Kentucky Fried Chicken, seasoned with 11 herbs and spices" and hung a sign above the entrance to the workshop. That's how Sanders' home cooking got its name. There were also technical innovations. Customers at Sanders's diner were often in a hurry, and the 30 minutes it took to fry a chicken in a frying pan seemed prohibitively long to Garlan. He found a solution when he attended a promotional demonstration of new pressure cooking pots that had just appeared - pressure cookers. Having bought one for himself, Sanders learned how to cook incredibly juicy chicken in just 15 minutes. Spices and pressure cookers became the main secrets of cooking "Kentucky chicken."

For the first time in his life, Garlan was completely satisfied with his work. Of course: he was paid money for his culinary hobby, and no one in the whole world could fire him now. And the fame of his chickens grew and spread. By the mid-1930s, everyone driving along Highway 25 perceived them as the “national” dish of Kentucky. This was Sanders’s first and, perhaps, most important success in the field of introducing his product into the wilds of public consciousness. The success is all the more remarkable because Sanders had only six classes behind him, unfinished correspondence courses in law and a bunch of working professions.

Be that as it may, in 1935, the Governor of Kentucky, Ruby Laffoon, accepted him as a member of the honorary “Order of Kentucky Colonels” with the wording “for his contribution to the development of roadside catering.”

The title of colonel, albeit an honorary one, fueled Garlan's deeply hidden vanity. Now he began to build a motel and restaurant with 142 seats near his auto repair shop. The establishment looked very much like a neat German farmstead.

The opening took place in 1937 under the sign of Sanders Court & Cafe (Sanders Motel and Cafe). Sanders appeared in front of visitors in a luxurious white suit with a black bow tie. The nostalgic image of a real colonel of the slaveholding South was completed with snow-white gray hair and a wedge beard.

This character was a success with the public, and from now on Sanders appeared in his restaurant only in this white suit. There was no end to clients now. The number of chickens sold can be judged by the fact that the famous Sanders seasoning was required in bags. “In those days, I mixed my seasoning like you would mix cement,” Sanders said. “On the clean concrete floor in the back room of my cafe, I mixed flour and spices with a shovel.”

This was Sanders' golden time, and trouble only invigorated him. When the establishment burned down in 1939, Garlan rebuilt it within a couple of months. And in the same year, the famous food critic Duncan Hines first mentioned it in his restaurant guide, In Search of Good Food. There, the Colonel's chickens were listed as a special attraction in Kentucky.

Fortune of nickels

The years flew by in pleasant troubles, and Sanders was already counting on a calm old age, when his life once again presented an unpleasant surprise.

At the very beginning of the 1950s, a new Federal Highway 75 was completed from the northern states to Florida, which passed away from Corbin. The flow of clients that began 20 years ago dried up overnight. Sanders floundered for another year, but in 1952 he no longer had enough money to support the restaurant and had to be auctioned off to pay off creditors.

Driving from city to city by car is not an easy task, especially when not every restaurant agreed to cooperate. Sanders found his first partner only in Salt Lake City. It was the owner of the restaurant, Pete Harman.

And Garlan continued with stupid persistence to visit more and more restaurants. During this time, his wife stayed home to prepare the seasoning and distribute it to partner restaurants. "Claudia would take orders, pack the spice into small bags and ship them to customers on the overnight train," Sanders said. By the end of the 1950s, more than 200 eateries in the United States and Canada were selling “Kentucky fried chicken.” “Business was slow at first, but over time things began to pick up. I began to understand how Mr. Woolworth was able to organize such a large chain of his penny stores,” Sanders said, laughing. “Those nickels accumulate and grow into a fortune!”

Why should a millionaire work?

However, the business built by Sanders also had a significant drawback - it relied on Garlan himself, who was already over 70. The colonel personally sold franchises, was involved in marketing the network, and even tried to check every bag of spices. The heirs did not want to deal with chicken professionally. In general, when Sanders was offered to sell the Kentucky Fried Chicken business in 1964, he agreed.

The buyers were a pool of investors led by John Brown Jr., the future governor of Kentucky. They paid Garlan $2 million for the entire company in February 1964. At that time, the company had more than 600 franchises in the USA and Canada. Sanders also remains the company's public spokesperson, earning a salary of $250,000 a year.

Although the colonel was now something of a Santa Claus in a white suit, he did his job honestly. He flew to all the countries where KFC establishments were now opening, and his luxurious limousine often visited children's parties. If he was asked why a millionaire should work in old age, he usually grinned: “There is no reason to be a rich man in a cemetery. Lying there, you cannot do business.”

At 84, he published his autobiography, Life as I have known it has been finger licking good. Having fulfilled this sacred duty of any successful American to society, he calmly, as he had dreamed all his life, lived for another six years, indulging in harmless pleasures, for example, playing masterful golf. The only thing that poisoned his life was the current "Kentucky Fried Chicken". “Everyone in the company is too carried away with commerce and cooks who knows what from chickens,” he once said in an interview. However, for his soul he still had his own restaurant, Claudia Sanders "Dinner House (he sold the right to his name in the name along with the business), where he always personally monitored the technology of cooking chicken. Garlan Sanders died of leukemia on December 16, 1980, when he was 90 years old. The colonel was buried in his famous white suit with a black bow tie.

KFC restaurants are now open in many cities around the world.

What know-how did Sanders offer its franchisees?

1. A special seasoning of 11 herbs and spices for marinating chicken.

2. Technology for cooking chicken in a pressure cooker - the cooking time has been reduced from 30 to 15 minutes.

Five steps to a million

1. Farmer, streetcar conductor, American Army private, blacksmith's assistant, locomotive fireman, law student, insurance agent, furniture mover, ferry captain, tire salesman, and auto mechanic.

2. At 40, life is just beginning: Sanders decided to work for himself and opened his own auto repair shop... which sold fried chicken best of all.

3. At the age of 47, he followed the lead of his clients and opened his own restaurant.

4. At the age of 62, Colonel Sanders went completely broke when a new state highway passed away from his establishment.

5. Once again, pensioner Sanders began selling a franchise for the technology for preparing his fried chicken. And he became a millionaire at the age of 70.

Secret materials

The hype around the secret to Garlan Sanders' famous 11-herb and spice chicken seasoning continues. “Fast Food” host Gloria Pitzer once told Sanders on television that she had made a very similar seasoning using three cups of flour, a tablespoon of paprika, two packets of bouillon powder and two packets of Seven Seas seasoning. The colonel laughed: “You are a real cook!” Also, several books have already been published in the United States, the authors of which provide their own versions of the “Sanders seasoning.” KFC itself is adding fuel to the fire. The company officially claims that the entire recipe is known only to a few people in management, and the list itself never leaves a specially guarded safe.

Colonel's first pressure cooker

Still in the museum at the KFC Restaurant Supply Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

Resurrected

A few years after the death of Garlan Sanders, KFC launched commercials, in which the colonel is very similar to the original. Members of his family even said that when they saw them, they experienced superstitious horror.

Old Mason

Garlan Sanders has been a member of the Masonic Lodge since 1917. His grave is marked by a bust sculpted by his daughter Margaret. It has images of a Masonic square and compasses.

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