This story has been updated to include comments from Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg and Greater Louisville Inc., the regional chamber of commerce.
The famed Kentucky Fried Chicken, part of Yum! Brands, will soon be leaving its home state of Kentucky.
On Tuesday, Yum! Brands, a Fortune 500 company that has been based in Louisville since 1997, announced plans to create two new brand headquarters in the U.S. in Plano, Texas, and Irvine, California.
This move will relocate the KFC U.S. corporate office from Louisville to Plano. The company stated its U.S.-based remote employees are being asked to relocate to the Plano or Irvine campus depending on where their work occurs.
KFC and Pizza Hut employees will report to Plano while Taco Bell and Habit Burger & Grill will remain headquartered in Irvine.
Yum! Brands headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky. March 27, 2024.
According to a press release from Yum! Brands, this move is intended “to foster greater collaboration among brands and employees.”
The move is expected to impact 100 KFC U.S. corporate employees, many of which were based in Louisville prior to this announcement. Additionally, 90 remote workers will be expected to relocate over the next 18 months.
“I am disappointed to learn that Yum! Brands will move its KFC employees to Texas — especially since the brand was born here and is synonymous with Kentucky. I’ve asked to meet with the Yum! CEO soon and am heartened Yum! will retain its corporate headquarters and 560 employees here. I will work tirelessly with Yum!’s leadership to continue growing its presence in Louisville,” Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said in a statement.
Despite the loss of KFC U.S., Yum! Brands and the KFC Foundation will retain its corporate offices in Louisville. Yum! Brands is also announcing a $1 million endowment to the College of Business at the University of Louisville.
A backlit KFC logo adorns a wall in the entryway at the Yum! Brands headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky. March 27, 2024.
“KFC is a Greater Louisville homegrown company that has become one of the largest restaurant chains in the world over the last 90 years. While GLI is disappointed to see the relocation of some employees from our region, we are optimistic that Yum! will continue its long-standing partnership with our community and that Greater Louisville will continue to be part of the company’s long success story,” said Sarah Davasher-Wisdom, president and CEO of Greater Louisville Inc., the regional chamber of commerce.
A press release stated that KFC will continue to have a strong brand presence in Louisville “with the ambition of building a first-of-its-kind flagship restaurant.”
“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.”
Contact business reporter Olivia Evans at oevans@courier-journal.com or on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter at @oliviamevans_.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: KFC corporate to cut 100 jobs in Louisville, relocate its headquarters
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