Colonel Sanders Had Strict Standards When It Came To KFC's Quality

It's not uncommon to think that a brand is slipping soon after its founder sells it to a giant corporation. But that commentary doesn't usually come from the founder themselves, especially not while they're still under contract as a brand spokesperson. But a 1976 New York Times article details one such case: a Manhattan KFC's surprise inspection by Colonel Harlan Sanders himself, who sold the company years earlier but remained the face of the KFC brand.

During this visit, Sanders made his way to the kitchen and found immediate trouble with the restaurant's chicken: "That's much too black. It should be golden brown. You're frying for 12 minutes — that's six minutes too long." After complaining that the fry oil was a week past its throw-out date, the Colonel told a shocked manager, "That's the worst fried chicken I've ever seen."

Sanders was equally disappointed in the "wallpaper paste" mashed potatoes, as well as the gravy, which he believed would turn the instant potatoes to "sludge." Perhaps the worst offender, however, was the coleslaw. "This coleslaw! They just won't listen to me," he said. "It should be chopped, not shredded, and it should be made with Miracle Whip. Anything else turns gray. And there should be nothing in it but cabbage. No carrots!"

The Manhattan KFC was far from the only target of Sanders' dissatisfaction. Despite living the rest of his life as the official face of KFC, the Colonel was feared by franchisers for his unannounced and unofficial inspections, which usually ended with sharp condemnation. One Kentucky-based franchiser even unsuccessfully sued Sanders for libel in 1978 after he once again leveled the "wallpaper paste" and "sludge" allegations against the restaurant's potatoes and gravy (via Justia).

That wasn't Sanders' only quality-related lawsuit, either. Disappointed in parent company Heublein's direction for the company, Sanders also sued it in 1974 for inappropriate use of his image to promote products that he did not develop. Additionally, the lawsuit alleged unfair interference in he and his wife's attempts to franchise a different restaurant, named Claudia Sanders' "The Colonel's Lady" Dinner House (which is still in business as Claudia Sanders Dinner House.)

Sanders and Heublein reached an out-of-court settlement about a year later, which included a cooking demonstration with Heublein executives where Sanders showed that his original recipes could be done quickly and efficiently. Since he encountered the same problems in Manhattan in 1976, however, it's unlikely the company heeded his advice.

A lot has changed about KFC since Sanders' time. KFC now uses low-linolenic soybean oil, unlike the vegetable oil Sanders originally used. What's more, KFC's 11 secret herbs and spices (including thyme, basil, and celery salt) are no longer so secret. But one persistent bother from the founder's 1976 drop-in continues: overly long cook times.

Shortly after its legal spats with Sanders, Heublein sold KFC to RJ Reynolds Tobacco in 1978, kicking off a chain of corporate ownership that ended at Yum! Brands, which also owns Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. But a lower and slower cook method like the one used during the Heublein era remains. Today, KFC pressure-fries large batches of chicken for about 15 minutes, followed by a five-minute cool-off period. Plus, to Sanders' likely chagrin, KFC coleslaw not only still contains carrots, but also onions.