There Is No More 'Kentucky' in KFC

Kentucky Fried Chicken is about to become Texas-based Kentucky Fried Chicken. The restaurant chain is moving its headquarters from Kentucky to Texas, a state with low corporate taxes, the Guardian reports. In a Tuesday statement, Yum! Brands CEO David Gibbs said the move would "position us for sustainable growth" and "help us better serve our customers, employees, franchisees, and shareholders." The company tried to soften the blow with a $1 million endowment to the University of Louisville's College of Business, per the Courier-Journal. Still, locals took the news hard. "I am disappointed by this decision and believe the company's founder would be, too," said Gov. Andy Beshear, per the BBC.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg noted the brand "was born here and is synonymous with Kentucky," per the Courier-Journal. Yum! Brands has also been based in Louisville since 1997. Though the company and the KFC Foundation will retain corporate offices in the city, KFC will join the Pizza Hut chain in a new brand headquarters in Plano. More than 100 employees are expected to move over the next six months, while 90 remote workers are expected to relocate within 18 months, per the Guardian. "Bringing more of our people together on a consistent basis will maximize our unrivaled culture and talent as a competitive advantage," said Gibbs. Yum! Brands also has a brand headquarters in Irvine, California, home to its Taco Bell and Habit Burger & Grill brands. (More Kentucky Fried Chicken stories.)