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KFC is set to relocate its U.S. headquarters from Louisville, Kentucky, to Plano, Texas, as announced by parent company Yum Brands. This strategic shift involves moving approximately 100 employees over the next six months.
The move is part of Yum Brands’ initiative to establish two primary corporate locations—one in Plano and another in Irvine, California. The global teams for KFC and Pizza Hut are already operating out of Plano, while Taco Bell and The Habit Burger Grill’s operations are centered in Irvine.
In addition to the corporate headquarter transition, Yum Brands will also relocate about 90 employees from its U.S. remote workforce to align with their operational bases.
Nonetheless, KFC will maintain a presence in Kentucky, with plans to keep corporate offices in Louisville and to develop a new flagship restaurant in the city. This indicates that while the headquarters are moving, KFC’s roots in Kentucky remain significant.
The trend of companies reevaluating their corporate headquarters has intensified, particularly since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Factors such as lower tax rates and shifting workspace needs due to the rise of remote work have influenced these decisions. According to a 2023 report by CBRE, Texas has emerged as a favored destination for such relocations due to its business-friendly policies.
Notably, KFC is not the only restaurant chain to make this move. Rival Papa John’s previously shifted its headquarters from Louisville to Atlanta in 2020 and subsequently chose not to sell its original headquarters, retaining the property for employees who remain in Louisville.
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