What It Was Like To Eat At KFC In 1969

Back before there was a KFC (an initialism adopted in 1991), Colonel Harlan Sanders — an actual person, not a mascot — started selling fried chicken. He perfected his signature seasoning blend of 11 herbs and spices (one of the most famous secret recipes in food and drink history) in 1939, and in a little over a decade, he began to franchise his chicken chain. By the late '60s, all 50 states had at least one location, and there were even overseas outposts as far away as Australia. So what was the restaurant like back then? As you might expect, the options were fewer, but the prices were a lot lower. 

A regular dinner box in 1969 contained three pieces of chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, a biscuit, and coleslaw, and was priced at $1.35. The three-piece combo meal looks a bit different these days — no coleslaw is included, but you do get a drink, and it costs about $12.99 (prices may vary by location). When you factor in median weekly salaries — $181in 1969 versus $1,235 today — you can get a better comparison. A week's worth of labor was enough to cover the cost of 134 chicken dinners back then, whereas now it will only buy 95. 

One check mark in the 21st-century KFC column, however, is the much wider range of choices available. Back then, KFC only offered boxes, buckets, and barrels of chicken, whereas now it has nuggets, tenders, bowls, and pot pies. We also have the option to order Hot & Spicy and Original Honey BBQ in addition to the Original Recipe that was the only flavor on offer in 1969.

While the current KFC menu offers numerous options undreamt of by the late Colonel Sanders, the 1969 menu does show that certain items have vanished over the years. Coleslaw is the only salad available at present, but in times gone by, you could also order potato salad, bean salad, or macaroni salad. Baked beans, too, are a previous item that's no longer on offer, and pies and turnovers have disappeared from the dessert menu. Nor are coffee and milk available as drink options these days.

One side dish that was (mostly) discontinued is something many people still seem to miss. Fried offal may sound awful to some of us, but the livers and gizzards that KFC once sold are remembered fondly by quite a few people. According to one Facebook user, "Their chicken is good but their liver and gizzards were where the secret recipe really shined." These items still seem to be available at certain franchises in the South and Midwest, but don't look for them to make a comeback on the nationwide menu anytime soon. As another Facebooker explained, "My Dad was a fan of the chicken livers ... a manager said it required a dedicated fryer which made it an issue because of lower demand."