The Coca-Cola Company and quick-service chicken chain KFC have agreed a nationwide beverage partnership that will introduce Coca-Cola products across all 3,600 KFC restaurant locations in the United States.
Commencing in January 2027, the Yum! Brands subsidiary will begin transitioning its domestic beverage programme away from long-time supplier PepsiCo to The Coca-Cola Company. The full operational changeover is scheduled to be completed across all US franchised and company-operated dining rooms and drive-thrus by spring 2027.
The agreement represents a major commercial account win in the quick-service restaurant (QSR) fountain dispensing sector, bringing Coca-Cola into domestic KFC locations for the first time in the chain's history.
"This exciting new partnership brings Coca-Cola and KFC together across the U.S. for the very first time," said Dagmar Boggs, President of Foodservice & On-Premise, North America at The Coca-Cola Company.
"By pairing KFC's iconic food and flavours 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, delight KFC guests, serve KFC Restaurant Teams, and unlock new growth possibilities together."
Phased System Rollout
The operational migration across KFC's 3,600 US locations will be managed through a multi-stage hardware and logistics conversion:
Implementation Schedule: System conversions will initiate in January 2027, with national completion targeted for spring 2027.
Fountain and Dispensing Hardware: Re-equipping restaurant counter fountains, drive-thru multi-dispensers, and back-of-house bag-in-box (BIB) syrup systems to pour Coca-Cola soft drinks, teas, and zero-sugar lines.
Supply Chain and Distribution: Transitioning bulk beverage replenishment and gas supply to Coca-Cola's North American bottling and commercial distribution network.
Catherine Tan-Gillespie, President of KFC U.S., noted that the beverage transition forms part of the chain's broader brand renovation programme.
"I'm incredibly excited to bring KFC and Coca-Cola together. These are two of the greatest originals, with deep consumer love and a shared belief that the best brands continue to evolve," said Tan-Gillespie.
"This partnership is about more than what's in the cup. It is another important step in our work to evolve KFC, strengthen our restaurants 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."
QSR Fountain Soft Drinks
The supplier switch marks a historic alignment for KFC, which has maintained exclusive commercial ties with PepsiCo since PepsiCo acquired KFC in 1986 and subsequently spun off its restaurant operations into Tricon Global Restaurants (now Yum! Brands) in 1997.
While Yum! Brands sister banners Taco Bell and Pizza Hut maintain exclusive multi-year pour agreements with PepsiCo in the domestic US market, KFC operates select international markets under Coca-Cola agreements. Securing the domestic US KFC contract allows Coca-Cola to capture high-volume chicken-meal beverage attachments and expand fountain presence across southern and Midwestern restaurant hubs where KFC maintains deep network density.
For quick-service operators, beverage programme agreements carry substantial commercial importance, involving joint marketing funds, digital app promotions, co-branded combo meals, and fountain equipment maintenance subsidies that directly impact unit-level franchisee profitability.
The commercial rollout across KFC's national US estate will commence in January 2027.
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