Transition to Coca-Cola brings two iconic brands together, a visible proof point in KFC's broader comeback plan

PLANO, Texas, Oct. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- KFC U.S. today announced a new partnership with The Coca-Cola Company, another step in the brand's ongoing effort to refresh its menu and beverage platform and create more reasons for customers to visit. Beginning in January 2027, KFC will transition its U.S. beverage partnership to The Coca-Cola Company, with Coca-Cola products expected to be served in all U.S. restaurants by spring 2027.

"I'm incredibly excited to bring KFC and Coca-Cola together. These are two originals, with deep consumer love" said Catherine Tan-Gillespie, President of KFC U.S. "This partnership is about more than what's in the cup. It is another step in our work to evolve KFC, strengthen our restaurants, menu offerings and create a more relevant experience for today's customers. Coca-Cola shares our ambition for the future of this brand, and I'm excited about what we can create together."

"This exciting new partnership brings Coca-Cola and KFC together across the U.S. for the first time," said Dagmar Boggs, President of Foodservice & On-Premise, North America, The Coca-Cola Company. "By pairing KFC's iconic food and flavors with the breadth of Coca-Cola's beverage portfolio and innovation capabilities, we have an incredible opportunity to make every visit more refreshing, create memorable consumer experiences and unlock new growth possibilities together."

The partnership will bring together KFC's signature food and Coca-Cola's broad beverage portfolio to create compelling food-and-drink pairings, expand choice and explore new ways to make the KFC experience more complete. Together, the two brands see an opportunity to serve customers across more occasions, whether they are gathering over a family meal, stopping in for a snack or looking for something refreshing on its own. Coca-Cola's extensive system capabilities will also support KFC restaurants across the U.S.

The announcement comes as KFC continues to evolve its beverage platform through new drink offerings, expanded daypart occasions and innovation already underway across several global markets. Recent examples include the new drink lineup introduced at Open House, the brand's new innovation restaurant in McKinney, Texas, featuring iced coffees, boba, shakes and other craveable creations designed to give fans more flavor and more reasons to visit.

Together, the new Coca-Cola partnership and KFC's continued expansion of beverages mark the next step in KFC's plan to meet changing consumer preferences and create a more relevant customer experience. The partnership brings two iconic originals together as part of the broader Kentucky Fried Comeback, with a shared ambition to build memorable experiences around great food and beverages.

About KFC

KFC Corporation, based in Plano, TX., has been serving up Finger Lickin' Good Original Recipe® fried chicken since 1952, including chicken on the bone, nuggets and tenders. Beyond the top secret 11 herbs & spices, KFC specialties include the KFC Chicken Sandwich, Extra Crispy™ chicken, KFC Famous Bowls®, Pot Pies, Secret Recipe Fries, biscuits and homestyle sides. There are over 30,000 KFC restaurants in 150 countries and territories around the world. KFC Corporation is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., Louisville, Ky. (NYSE: YUM). For more information, visit www.kfc.com. Follow KFC on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.

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SOURCE Kentucky Fried Chicken