Yum! Brands is taking the chicken out of Kentucky; its fried chicken brand headquarters, anyway.Kentucky Fried Chicken, part of Yum! Brands, will soon be leaving its home state.

The Fortune 500 company that has been based in Louisville since 1997 on Tuesday announced plans to create two new brand headquarters in the U.S. in Plano, Texas, and Irvine, California. Officials said KFC will primarily be headquartered at the new Plano location.

The move is expected to affect 100 KFC U.S. corporate employees, many of whom were based in Louisville before the announcement. Additionally, 90 remote workers will be expected to relocate over the next 18 months.

KFC headquarters leaving Louisville: What to know

Where is KFC headquarters?

The current headquarters for KFC is 1441 Gardiner Lane, Louisville.

While the headquarters is leaving, individual restaurants are staying.

In a news release, Yum! Brands said KFC will continue to have a strong brand presence in Louisville “with the ambition of building a first-of-its-kind flagship restaurant.”

KFC will be headquartered in Plano, Texas, alongside sister brand Pizza Hut Global.

Yum! Brands said the move is intended “to foster greater collaboration among brands and employees.”

“These changes position us for sustainable growth and will help us better serve our customers, employees, franchisees and shareholders,” CEO David Gibbs said in the release. “Ultimately, bringing more of our people together on a consistent basis will maximize our unrivaled culture and talent as a competitive advantage. I’m confident this is another important step in growing our iconic restaurant brands globally.”

Is Yum! Brands headquarters leaving Kentucky?

Yum! Brands which also owns Taco Bell and Habit Bar & Grill brands, will retain its corporate headquarters and 560 employees in Louisville.

Yum! Brands plans to donate a $1 million endowment to the College of Business at the University of Louisville. The KFC Foundation also will keep its corporate offices in Louisville. 

Contact IndyStar reporter Cheryl V. Jackson at cheryl.jackson@indystar.com or 317-444-6264. Follow her on X.com:@cherylvjackson or Bluesky: @cherylvjackson.bsky.social.