In the mid-1930s, Harlan. Colonel Sanders bought a motel and cafe in his hometown of Kentucky, twenty-five miles away from Tennessee, USA. Before he entered the restaurant business in his sixties, he already owned numerous businesses from road and rail to steam ferries on the Ohio River.

Colonel Sanders was passionate about cooking and often experimented with recipes using various condiments. His reputation grew when he discovered that chicken nuggets were coated in flour and fried using ten magical herbs and spices. Then, one Sunday, as he was preparing to cook fried chicken for tourists, he added an eleventh ingredient. Colonel Sanders said: "With this eleventh recipe I discovered I have the most delicious chicken in the world."

In recognition of his contribution to his hometown, Kentucky awarded him the honorary title of "Colonel Sanders".