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Kentucky Fried Chicken (page 1)

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former Sanders Court & Cafe
Corbin, KY
In 1930, Harland Sanders, later "Colonel" Sanders, opened a Shell gas station in Corbin. In 1931, he moved across the street with a Gulf station. He then entered into a long-term arrangement with the Pure Oil Company and opened a restaurant. This was probably a similar deal to the one worked out with the Village Inn. By 1937, he was operating a full-scale motel and restaurant complex called Sanders Court & Cafe. During this time, he developed his now-famous recipe for fried chicken.

When I-75 bypassed Corbin, Sanders took his chicken recipe on the road. He convinced other restaurants to add his chicken to their menus in exchange for a few cents each time it was sold. This quickly turned into franchising and Kentucky Fried Chicken was born. Within seven years, there were 600 locations. Today, there are more than 30,000 locations worldwide. In 1991, the company's name was changed to KFC. Around 2005, the name was changed back to Kentucky Fried Chicken and the long-gone bucket signs were revived with a black and white, less-detailed image of the Colonel.

In 1969, the Sanders motel and gas station in Corbin were demolished. In 1990, the Cafe was rebuilt in the style of the original. It is now used as a KFC restaurant and museum. There are recreations inside of the old kitchen, a motel room, Sanders' office, and displays of advertising and other historical items. In 2020, the modern pole sign was replaced with a reproduction of the original style bucket sign and flashing arrow (bottom row of photos above). For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

These buildings shown below are examples of Kentucky Fried Chicken's 1968 design with a mansard roof and a cupola. I believe this was the company's first standardized building design. The metal buildings were designed by Trachte. I don't believe there are any KFCs still in operation that use these buildings. However, there are still lots of them out there that have been repurposed.

former Kentucky Fried Chicken
Sparks, NV
former Kentucky Fried Chicken
Bossier City, LA		 former Kentucky Fried Chicken [gone]
Albany, GA		 former Kentucky Fried Chicken [gone]
Jackson, MS
The photo of the Sparks location is from 2014. The building now houses Barks NV. [map]

This Bossier City location has housed used car dealerships for many years. [map]

The photo of the Albany location is from 2007. By 2016, the building had been demolished.

The photo of the Jackson location is from 2010. By 2015, the building had been completely remodeled but was still housing a Subway.

weathervane
sign [gone]
Gilt Edge, TN		 weathervane
sign
Sellersburg, IN		 weathervane
sign
Lexington, KY
The cupolas of the buildings shown above were originally topped with weathervane signs. These signs are very rare now and most are in private collections.

This weathervane sign in Gilt Edge was installed on top of the sign for the Gilt Edge Cafe.

I believe the weathervane sign in Sellersburg is a modern copy. It is installed at the AJS office behind a KFC location. AJS Inc. & Associates owns and operates 13 KFC locations in Indiana and Tennessee. [map]

This weathervane sign in Lexington was installed on the roof of this house around 2013. [map]

The only other Colonel Sanders weathervanes that I know of on public display are in private collections in Maltby, WA and Buellton, CA. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3.

former Kentucky Fried Chicken
Gulfport, MS
This former Kentucky Fried Chicken was built by 1966 and must have predated the mansard roof design shown above. Either that, or the building was remodeled by a later tenant. Around 1978, the building was briefly housing the Der Weiner Hut. From around from 1983-1992, the building housed a Cajun's Fabulous Fried Chicken. In more recent years, the building housed a used car lot office. It now houses Auto Cash Title Loans. [map]

The trademark Kentucky Fried Chicken cardboard bucket was invented in 1957 by Pete Harman. In 1961, the company's first bucket sign was created by Leonard Goldstein (the founder of Lendy's). He used these spinning bucket signs at his Roanoke, VA and Salem, VA restaurants. In 1962, when Dave Thomas started the Kentucky Fried Chicken chain, these bucket signs were part of the original design at the urging of the Colonel. By the 1970s, these revolving signs were everywhere. When the company dumped the Colonel's image and changed the name to KFC in 1991, most locations that still had these signs, got rid of these. Most likely, with pressure from corporate. In recent years, KFC has brought back bucket signs but the image of the Colonel is more stylized and is only black and white. The "finger lickin' good" slogan is also gone. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3.

Kentucky
Fried Chicken [gone]
Metropolis, IL		 Kentucky
Fried Chicken [gone]
Hayward, WI		 Kentucky
Fried Chicken [gone]
Magnolia, AR		 Kentucky
Fried Chicken [gone]
Iron River, MI		 Kentucky Fried Chicken [gone]
Grinnell, IA
The Metropolis bucket was still there in 2010 when this photo was taken. By 2013, the location had closed and the sign was gone.

The Magnolia bucket, photographed in 2008, was gone by 2009. The Iron River bucket, photographed in 2006, was gone by 2010.

The Hayward location and bucket, shot in 2007, are gone now as well.

The Grinnell opened in 1968 with this bucket sign. The owner had to keep the sign clean and fully-lit in order to satisfy corporate headquarters which would much rather have seen the sign removed. The sign was removed around 2020 when the location closed.

The San Jose bucket sign (described below) is the only one still on display at operating KFC locations. There was still one in Yellowknife, NT until the location closed in 2015.

Kentucky Fried Chicken
San Jose, CA
The graphics on this San Jose bucket are different from the signs shown above. This design is older. The San Jose bucket is from around 1964. The red stripe design was introduced around 1968. There were other bucket signs like the one in San Jose in Canada until just a few years ago [Goderich, ON (see above) and Yellowknife, NT] but they are both gone now. The San Jose bucket no longer spins. The chasing bulbs are still lit. Around 1995, a new KFC building was constructed. The San Jose Planning Department declared the sign historic at that time which prevented it from being removed. [map]

former Kentucky
Fried Chicken bucket [gone]
Anniston, AL		 Mr. Shrimp [gone]
Chicago, IL
This Anniston bucket had been converted into a giant Coca-Cola cup complete with a straw. It stood in front of Garibaldi's Mexican restaurant. This photo is from 2007. I believe by 2010, the straw was gone. Garibaldi's was gone by 2014 and so was the bucket sign.

Mr. Shrimp opened around 1953. I assume these plastic panels were added to a former Kentucky Fried Chicken bucket. Mr. Shrimp closed in 2010 just before this photo was taken. By 2012, the panels were gone and only the pole and metal sign supports were left. For more, see this website.

former Kentucky Fried Chicken [gone]
Los Angeles, CA
2013: 2015:
This former Kentucky Fried Chicken in Los Angeles housed a Chano's Drive-in since around 2009. The bucket sign was also adapted. By 2014, the building was housing Figueroa Philly Cheese Steak. The sign was adapted again. In 2023, the building was adapted for a Hyundai dealership and the sign was removed.

former Kentucky Fried Chicken
Pico Rivera, CA
This former Kentucky Fried Chicken was adapted for a Tierra Mia Coffee in 2012. [map]

former Kentucky
Fried Chicken
Gainesville, TX		 former Kentucky Fried Chicken
Chandler, AZ
This former Kentucky Fried Chicken in Gainesville housed Donutstein from 2013-2021. It now houses Snowflake Donuts & Kolaches Shop. [map]

This former Kentucky Fried Chicken in Chandler has housed a BoSa Donuts since 2016. The bucket and building have both been adapted. [map]

former Kentucky
Fried Chicken
Broken Arrow, OK		 former Kentucky
Fried Chicken
Decatur, IL
This former Kentucky Fried Chicken in Broken Arrow was left in place and painted white by 2007. The adapted building later housed Gilcrest Chiropractic. It now houses a Papa Murphy's Pizza and the bucket has been painted white. [map]

This former Kentucky Fried Chicken in Decatur has housed a La Gondola Spaghetti House since at least 2009. The building and bucket sign were adapted. There is another adapted building in Bloomington, IL but the bucket sign is gone. [map]

More Vintage Kentucky Fried Chicken Bucket Signs:
Hollywood, CA: 1, 2 [gone]
Great Falls, MT [gone]
Youngwood, PA [gone]
Yakima, WA [gone]
Port Elgin, ON: 1, 2 [gone]
Yellowknife, NT [gone]

If you know of any other vintage or repurposed bucket signs, I'd love to hear from you.

Kentucky Fried Chicken
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