Pete Harman facts for kids

Leon Weston "Pete" Harman (born January 16, 1919 – died November 19, 2014) was an American businessman. He is famous for making a deal with Colonel Harland Sanders. This deal led to the very first KFC restaurant that was a franchise. Pete Harman's KFC opened in Salt Lake City, Utah, in August 1952.

Pete Harman's Early Life

Pete Harman was born in 1919 in Granger, Utah. This area is now part of West Valley City, a suburb of Salt Lake City. He was the youngest of 14 children in his family.

Sadly, Pete's mother passed away just two days after he was born. Later, his father married Caroline Hemenway Harman. Pete grew up to become a big supporter of education. He donated a lot of money for a building at Brigham Young University. This building was named after his stepmother, Caroline Hemenway Harman.

In 1941, Pete and his wife, Arline, opened their first restaurant. It was called The Do Drop Inn and started with only two employees. Pete and Arline had met in the 1930s. They both worked at the same restaurant in San Francisco, California, and got married in 1938.

Building the KFC Empire

Pete Harman worked closely with Colonel Sanders to create the KFC system. This system helped other people open their own KFC restaurants. He helped write the training guides and product manuals. These guides showed new restaurant owners how to make KFC food the right way.

Pete Harman also came up with some famous ideas for KFC. He developed the well-known bucket packaging for chicken. He also helped make the slogan "Finger-lickin' good" popular.

In 1990, Pete Harman was honored for his achievements. He received the Gold Plate Award from the International Foodservice Manufacturer Association. At that time, his company, Harman Management Corp., was very successful. It had over 4,000 employees and ran 238 KFC restaurants. These restaurants were located in four different states. People said his success came from treating his staff well. He even had plans that let his employees own parts of the company.

The first KFC building that Pete Harman opened was taken down in 2004. A new, modern restaurant and a museum were built in its place. As his business grew in the 1960s, Pete Harman moved to Los Altos, California. He lived there until he passed away on November 19, 2014, at 95 years old.