KFC Went From Seven Straight Losing Quarters to Three Straight Winning Ones — Here’s the Recipe for Their Turnaround
To reinvigorate the company, KFC’s new president, Catherine Tan-Gillespie, tried something unusual — she told customers the truth.
When Catherine Tan-Gillespie took over as president of KFC U.S. last April, the franchise had just posted seven consecutive quarters of negative same-store sales. Domestic systemwide sales were down 4.6% in 2025. Dave’s Hot Chicken was growing 51% and closing in fast. Her response was to do something most brands avoid: admit failure publicly, according to Restaurant Business.
The “Kentucky Fried Comeback” campaign acknowledged KFC had lost its way, put Colonel Sanders back at the center of its marketing and asked customers directly for a second chance. “If people can give their ex a million second chances, I hope our fans can give us one,” Tan-Gillespie said. The chain brought back Potato Wedges, launched $10 Tuesdays and leaned into tiered value pricing with $5 bowls and $20 Build a Buckets.
Three consecutive quarters of positive same-store sales later, the Colonel appears to be back in command. The lesson for any franchise operator: sometimes the most powerful marketing strategy is telling customers you screwed up.
When Catherine Tan-Gillespie took over as president of KFC U.S. last April, the franchise had just posted seven consecutive quarters of negative same-store sales. Domestic systemwide sales were down 4.6% in 2025. Dave’s Hot Chicken was growing 51% and closing in fast. Her response was to do something most brands avoid: admit failure publicly, according to Restaurant Business.
The “Kentucky Fried Comeback” campaign acknowledged KFC had lost its way, put Colonel Sanders back at the center of its marketing and asked customers directly for a second chance. “If people can give their ex a million second chances, I hope our fans can give us one,” Tan-Gillespie said. The chain brought back Potato Wedges, launched $10 Tuesdays and leaned into tiered value pricing with $5 bowls and $20 Build a Buckets.
Three consecutive quarters of positive same-store sales later, the Colonel appears to be back in command. The lesson for any franchise operator: sometimes the most powerful marketing strategy is telling customers you screwed up.
