| Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is a well known | | | | The secret KFC recipe: Does it matter? |
| restaurant in the world. It is rated at number 60 in the | | | | It is an open secret that KFC is made of a blend of 11 |
| world best known brands BusinessWeek (McDonald's | | | | herbs and spices. The use of modern spectrometer, |
| in the number 9 and Nescafe, 23). | | | | can Colonel explosion of spices with X-ray |
| Its history spans nearly 80 years when it started to | | | | photoelectron or burn them with a specially designed |
| Corbin (Kentucky, USA), in the 1930's. During this period | | | | gas and studying the outcome. |
| the U.S. was under the Great Depression with nearly | | | | With a database of the results achieved similar |
| 25% unemployment rate. The hard time was probably | | | | technique using all the spices and herbs known to |
| one of the biggest factors in forcing Harland Sanders ( | | | | mankind, it would take a few weeks before we could |
| "The Colonel") to start experimenting with various | | | | identify the exact names and percentage of 11 spices. |
| mixes of spices and herbs, trying to get the best | | | | But does it matter? Is it really important to know the |
| formula for your recipe. (If you still remember the | | | | exact names and compositions of spices? |
| 1997-2002 economic collapse in Asia, one of the last | | | | An average employer might think the secret recipe is |
| business that kept going during the recession was the | | | | so valuable and willing to pay millions for a copy. |
| food industry). | | | | A genius employer not to pay even a penny! |
| In 1939, and the recipe is perfected and the Colonel | | | | It is the franchise system, not the recipe spices. |
| had expanded his restaurant to accommodate 142 | | | | Has been a night market ( "pass Malam") and tried |
| seats. It was a fairy large restaurant, the size is | | | | fried chicken sold by street vendors? Have you ever |
| equivalent to several tennis courts. | | | | been to a small restaurant or a foodstall and |
| However there was a problem. The waiting time! It | | | | discovered that fried chicken is so crisp and delicious? |
| took almost 30 minutes for chicken cooked properly. | | | | Then they wonder why this small businessman yet |
| Turn the gas bigger and you risk of having chicken | | | | made a fortune off his "secret recipe"! |
| cooked on the outside but still red with blood inside. | | | | The next time you visited the restaurant again, did you |
| Saved by a pressure cooker | | | | notice that - |
| Thanks to technology, in 1939 pressure cooker was | | | | * Sometimes there was no one to take orders |
| introduced. Olla pressure to allow liquid boils at higher | | | | * Sometimes closes properly without giving a warning |
| temperature. Water for example normally boils at 100 | | | | in advance |
| degrees centigrade, but a pressure cooker with the lid | | | | * Sometimes the table was in a mess and nobody to |
| sealed not allow air or liquid to escape and allow the | | | | clean, even after 5 minutes you were seated. |
| water boils at more than 125 celcius. | | | | * Sometimes the toilet is dirty and full choke with food |
| This significantly shortens the time for cooking and as | | | | waste. |
| added bonus, nutrients (hence the flavor) kept making | | | | * Sometimes fried chicken is overcooked, and at other |
| food more delicious. Since the boiling point is much | | | | times is enough. |
| higher, this also kill germs and make more food last | | | | * Sometimes fried chicken is too hot and other times |
| longer. | | | | not so spicy. |
| It should be noted that Colonel spotted the technique | | | | What is the point? |
| of cooking pressure just weeks after being introduced. | | | | The "secret recipe" represent only a small percentage |
| That means always looking for ways to improve the | | | | of success of the KFC franchise. If I had to give a |
| taste and the time it takes to cook the famous | | | | percentage, may not represent more than 20% of |
| Kentucky Fried Chicken. | | | | total success. |
| Average time for money. | | | | The success is due to the franchise system! |
| Every minute saved means less waiting time and | | | | In a franchise system, everything is documented and |
| more satisfaction to customers. This will also foster a | | | | there are strict rules for the operation of the company. |
| first time buyer to become repeat customers. | | | | For example: - |
| The colonel also is a smart guy. He can read the | | | | * The chicken should be cooked in a pressure cooker |
| writing on the wall. In early 1950, after hearing rumours | | | | and left for 15 minutes |
| that an interstate highway will be built without going | | | | * The size of each side of chicken should at least 8 |
| through their city. This could have a devastating effect | | | | cm wide and 300 grams of weight |
| on its business. At present, is probably under serious | | | | * The chicken should be marinated overnight |
| dilemma. When the Interstate was finally inaugurated in | | | | * The age when they were slaughtered chicken must |
| 1955, which caused a huge traffic being diverted away | | | | be between 60-70 days |
| from their city. | | | | * The minimum size of the restaurant should be |
| Possessing a large percentage in a small village VS | | | | 24×60 feet |
| owning a small percentage in a great country. | | | | * The color of the logo, the chair and table must be |
| Upon seeing an end to his professional activity, Colonel | | | | yellow and the floor is dark gray. |
| auctioned off its operations. Confident with the quality | | | | * The toilet must be cleaned every 3 hours. |
| of its fried chicken, Colonel began traveling from town | | | | * The sink should be cleaned every 30 minutes |
| to town franchise your recipe. He visited countless | | | | * The windows should be cleaned every morning |
| restaurants, promoting his recipe for fried chicken | | | | * Food left unsold after 15 minutes should be discarded. |
| owner and workers. | | | | * The worker must bear the company shirt and |
| The first franchise was awarded to Pete Harman in | | | | trousers. No jeans, corduroy or leather. |
| Salt Lake City. A handshake agreement stipulates a | | | | * 5% of gross proceeds must be used for local |
| payment of a nickel for each chicken sold by colonel. | | | | advertising |
| This is one of the true strength of the franchise | | | | * 1% of gross proceeds must be used for national |
| system. It provides a flow of money but the amount is | | | | advertising |
| very small initially. | | | | * 3% should be used for R & D to develop new |
| Building a franchise network is like building a pipeline for | | | | recipes and local brand. |
| the flow of money for you. At first, the cost is | | | | * The food must also be offered discounts on |
| enormous because you have to configure the | | | | packages (eg 2 chicken, fried 1, 1 glass of Pepsi) |
| infrastructure, digging the earth, linking pipelines, | | | | * The food can be ordered separately / "ala carte", |
| bypassing obstacles, etc. In the beginning the volume of | | | | but does not apply discount. |
| water flow (money) in his pipe is also grim. | | | | * The restaurant must have air conditioning. |
| After several years of hard work, effort will begin to | | | | * Etc.. etc.. |
| bear fruit. A penny, one penny, ten cents of this city, a | | | | This long list of standard operating procedures is really |
| hundred cents of that city, a thousand pennies this | | | | the key to the success of the franchise. The long list is |
| district, ten thousand coins that state and that happens | | | | actually a cumulative wisdom and know-how the |
| every day! In a short time began to make a huge | | | | franchise system has been developed after a couple |
| impact on their income. | | | | of decades of operation. |