.png)
.webp)
© History Oasis
Founder of KFC
Colonel Harland Sanders built Kentucky Fried Chicken into a franchising empire after starting at age 65. Sanders developed his secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices while running a roadside restaurant in Kentucky. He then traveled across the country, personally selling his franchise concept to restaurant owners. He sold the company in 1964 but stayed on as KFC’s spokesman and mascot and quality watchdog until his death in 1980.
Ray Kroc took over and transformed McDonald’s from a single California restaurant into the world’s largest fast food chain. Kroc joined the McDonald brothers’ operation in 1955 as a franchise agent, then bought the company outright in 1961. He standardized operations, created the franchise system, and expanded McDonald’s to thousands of locations worldwide before stepping down as CEO in 1973.
Founders of Burger King
James McLamore and David Edgerton co-founded Burger King after buying the struggling Insta-Burger King franchise in 1959. The pair created the Whopper burger and developed the flame-broiling cooking method that became Burger King’s signature way of cooking. They built the chain to over 250 locations before selling it to Pillsbury in 1967.
Founder & CEO of Domino’s
Tom Monaghan grew Domino’s from a single pizza shop into America’s second-largest pizza chain. Monaghan bought out his brother’s share with a used Volkswagen Beetle and focused on delivery speed with the famous 30-minute guarantee. He went on to own the Detroit Tigers during their 1984 World Series championship before selling Domino’s in 1998.
Founder & CEO of Subway
Fred DeLuca co-founded Subway at age 17 with a $1,000 loan and built it into the world’s largest submarine sandwich chain. DeLuca opened the first shop in 1965 and spent decades expanding the franchise system globally. By his death in 2015, he had grown Subway to more than 44,000 locations worldwide.
Founder & CEO of Wendy’s
Dave Thomas founded Wendy’s in 1969 and became the face of the brand through over 800 television commercials. Thomas created the iconic square burger patty and fresh-never-frozen beef concept. He appeared in ads from 1989 until his death in 2002. He’s the most recognizable fast food founder in television history.
Founder & CEO of Chick-fil-A
S. Truett Cathy founded Chick-fil-A in 1946 and kept the company’s Christian values throughout his leadership. Cathy invented the original chicken sandwich and established the policy of closing all restaurants on Sundays. He led the company for nearly 70 years until his death in 2014.
Howard Schultz joined Starbucks in 1982 and transformed the small Seattle coffee roaster into a global coffeehouse empire. Schultz became CEO in 1987 and led the company’s expansion from 17 stores to over 16,000 locations worldwide. He returned as CEO twice to lead major turnarounds, delivering a 21,826 percent return to shareholders during his tenure.
Steve Ells founded Chipotle in 1993 and pioneered the fast-casual dining concept with high-quality ingredients. Ells grew the company from a single Denver location to nearly 2,500 restaurants by focusing on food quality and customizable meals. He stepped down as CEO in 2017 following multiple food safety crises.
Founder & CEO of Papa John’s
John Schnatter founded Papa John’s in 1984 and built it into the third-largest pizza delivery company in the world. Schnatter appeared in thousands of commercials as the company spokesman and kept strict quality standards with the slogan “Better Ingredients, Better Pizza.” He resigned as CEO in 2017 and was removed from the board in 2018 following controversial public statements.
.webp)
.webp)