The KFC restaurants in the US will switch to “Coca-Cola” drinks after 40 years of partnership with Pepsi

Fast food restaurant chain KFC in the US is switching from “Pepsi” to “Coca-Cola”, ending a partnership that lasted nearly 40 years.

Reuters writes about this.

Pepsi beverages were introduced to KFC in the 1980s when “PepsiCo” acquired the restaurant chain. In 1997, “PepsiCo” spun off its restaurant business (which also owned “Taco Bell” and “Pizza Hut”) into a separate corporation, Yum! Brands, but Pepsi remained KFCʼs beverage supplier.

Now, instead of “Pepsi”, “Coca-Cola” products will appear in more than 3.7 000 American KFC restaurants by the spring of 2027. KFC establishments in other countries will continue to serve “PepsiCo” drinks.

Reuters notes that the loss of the contract with KFC, which has 3 718 restaurants in the United States, could be a serious reputational blow for “PepsiCo”, especially amid pressure from investors demanding the company improve its performance in North America, as well as growing demand for healthier products.

• KFC is the worldʼs second largest restaurant chain (after McDonaldʼs) in terms of sales. There are over 30 000 KFC restaurants in the world, operating in more than 150 countries. There are 72 of them in Ukraine — restaurants operating with “Pepsi”.

For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine, please follow us on X.