Earlier this year, two Canadian families made headlines after driving 2,000 miles for some finger lickin’ good® Kentucky Fried Chicken® at the birthplace of Original Recipe® Chicken in Corbin, Kentucky. Just like Colonel Sanders, who traveled over 200,000 miles a year to visit every KFC® restaurant across America, these loyal KFC fans took an epic journey of their own. And, to honor them, KFC treated the two families to a first-class, behind-the-scenes visit at their headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky where the Original Recipe® magic continues today.

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Fans greeted on the red carpet at KFC HQ (Photo: Business Wire)

Fans greeted on the red carpet at KFC HQ (Photo: Business Wire)

Longtime friends Brian Lutfy and Neil Janna of Montreal, Quebec, decided in April to get a bucket of their favorite finger lickin’ good chicken the hard way— by going on a five-day road trip to Corbin, Kentucky with their sons. After hearing the news of their courageous pilgrimage, KFC invited them back for a behind-the-scenes tour of the brand’s headquarters in Louisville, to actually prepare their beloved fried chicken alongside KFC’s head chef and see how the Original Recipe® Kentucky Fried Chicken is made.

Lutfy and Janna, along with their families, were treated to a day at the KFC headquarters, where they experienced the capital of fried chicken firsthand. They took “statue selfies” with the famous Colonel Sanders statue in KFC headquarters’ lobby; visited the Colonel Sanders museum and sat at the very desk where the Colonel himself sat in his prime; met head KFC Chef Bob Das, who invited them to dine with him at the Chef’s Table and enjoy freshly-prepared Original Recipe® Chicken. They even tasted new products and got a VIP look at the vault that housed Colonel Sanders’ world-famous, top-secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices.

“At KFC, we like to reward our fans,” said Kevin Hochman, chief marketing officer for KFC U.S. “And this is such an amazing story about true KFC fandom that we wanted to do it in a way that would make the Colonel proud. So, we invited these families for another trip of a lifetime, albeit this time by plane.”

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of Original Recipe® Chicken, the group got a very special cooking lesson where they made their very own Original Recipe® Chicken— the way the Colonel did it 75 years ago and the very same way Kentucky Fried Chicken is prepared today at locations worldwide.

“Being greeted on the red carpet at the KFC headquarters was an absolutely amazing experience,” said Janna. “At every turn, elements of the Colonel’s values are apparent, and all pieces of KFC headquarters harken back to him in an admirable way— no detail goes unnoticed. We did things most people don’t get to do, and we experienced firsthand how much work goes into KFC’s delicious, flavorful chicken. And, there’s apparently a time capsule sealed at headquarters when the Colonel was still around, not to be opened until 2027… ”

To see full details and images from their KFC inspired travels visit their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Goingtowhereitallbegan.

Fans can learn more about menu offerings, allergy and calorie information and more at www.KFC.com. To learn more about KFC’s famous founder, visit www.ColonelSanders.com.

About KFC

KFC Corporation, based in Louisville, Ky., is the world’s most popular chicken restaurant chain. KFC specializes in Original Recipe®, Extra Crispy™, Kentucky Grilled Chicken®, Extra Crispy™ Tenders, KFC Go Cup®, Famous Bowl®, pot pies, freshly made chicken sandwiches, biscuits and home-style side items. There are more than 19,400 KFC outlets in 120 countries and territories around the world. KFC Corporation is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., Louisville, Ky. (NYSE:YUM). For more information, visit www.kfc.com. Follow KFC on Facebook (www.facebook.com/KFC) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/kfc).