Harland Sanders Café and Museum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Harland Sanders Café
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Harland Sanders Café
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 Location in Kentucky
Location in the United States
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| Location | 688 U.S. Route 25W, North Corbin, Kentucky |
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| Built | 1940 |
| NRHP reference No. | 90001169 |
| Added to NRHP | August 7, 1990 |
The Harland Sanders Café is a special restaurant in North Corbin, Kentucky. It's famous because Colonel Harland Sanders, who started Kentucky Fried Chicken, ran this restaurant. He worked there from 1940 to 1956. This is also where Colonel Sanders created KFC's secret recipe in the 1940s! The café became a protected historic place on August 7, 1990.
Contents
History of the Café
Early Days in Corbin
Colonel Sanders moved to Corbin, Kentucky, in 1930. He started a gas station across the street from where the café is today. This gas station was on U.S. Route 25, a busy road.
At first, Sanders served food to travelers right in the back of his gas station. He used his own dining table, which could seat six people. People loved his cooking!
Growing Famous
By 1937, Colonel Sanders' cooking skills were very well known. He decided to build a bigger restaurant called the Sanders Café. This new café could seat 142 people.
Sadly, just two years later, in 1939, the restaurant was destroyed by a fire.
Rebuilding and New Ideas
After the fire, construction began quickly on a new Sanders Café. They also added a motel next to it. The restaurant and motel complex reopened on July 4, 1940.
A cool new feature at the café was a model of the motel rooms. This model helped convince customers to stay the night at the motel.
A Change in Roads
Business at the café was great because it was right on U.S. 25. This was the main road through central Kentucky. However, things changed when the highway system was updated.
A new road, US 25E, was built a mile north of the café. This new road bypassed the restaurant and the city. Later, Interstate 75 was completed in the early 1970s. This new interstate also bypassed the café.
These new roads meant fewer travelers drove past the Harland Sanders Café.
Becoming a KFC Franchise
In 1956, Colonel Sanders sold the café. He then focused on selling franchises for KFC. A KFC restaurant eventually opened in the same building. It used the original kitchen. The model motel room was changed into larger restrooms for customers. This KFC franchise stayed open until 1988.
The Café as a Museum
The Harland Sanders Café was closed for renovations in 1988. It reopened in the fall of 1990 as a museum. A modern KFC kitchen was built right next to the old café. The two buildings are connected by a lobby. This lobby has many smaller museum displays.
The model motel room was also restored to look just like it did originally. New restrooms were added to the back of the building.
Today, visitors to the museum can explore Colonel Sanders' old office. They can also see the kitchen where he created the famous KFC secret recipe. Plus, there are lots of KFC items and memories to see!
See also
In Spanish: Harland Sanders Café and Museum para niños
