This Is The Largest KFC In The World
As a brand, KFC has been around for ages. According to Delish, its origins can be traced to the 1930s when its founder, Harland Sanders, decided to offer his "trademark fried chicken" at a petrol station near North Corbin, Kentucky. It didn't take too long for the entrepreneur to figure out that he should focus on his food business instead of petrol, and he started a small eatery named Sanders' Court & Cafe. The first KFC outlet made its official debut in 1952 in Salt Lake City, Utah before growing bigger as a brand and achieving cult status among fans.
The company is proud of how far it has come. According to its official website, KFC now has more than 24,000 outlets in over 145 countries around the globe. Interestingly, KFC's biggest outlet in the world is located inside an old building that's not in the U.S., according to an article by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
There is an interesting backstory
The largest KFC in the world is located inside a former train station in Baku, Azerbaijan and is capable of hosting 300 guests at once. Per Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Sabunchu station was constructed in the 1920s and was designed by an architect called N.H. Bayev.
The station is considered "architecturally significant" for Baku and was a "part of the Soviet Union's first electrified railway system in 1924." Before KFC decided to occupy this historical site, the building was poorly maintained and required renovation. The fast-food company is believed to have invested €3 million euros to save the station from demolition and convert it into a KFC outlet instead. The new version still has older "interior architectural elements" such as its "cathedral ceilings featuring coffered panels painted in intricate patterns."
Reddit users seem upset about KFC's use of the building. A commentator offered some perspective and wrote, "I have been to this particular KFC, it is the most posh KFC in the world ... but it is an architectural building, and I am sad that it was given away for some fast-food joint." Another unhappy Redditor noted that KFC sort of "ruined the beauty of that building."