Colonel Sanders Artifacts Draw Preview Ahead of 100-Item Shelbyville Auction

Q: With the auction happening today, will the buyer of Sanders' 1964 planner finally uncover KFC's true secret recipe despite corporate denials?

Probably not. The planner may fuel new speculation, but the available evidence does not support the idea that its buyer will definitively uncover KFC’s true secret recipe. The key item is Sanders’ 1964 planner, which contains a handwritten list of 11 herbs and spices. That has long made it the auction’s most talked-about lot. But KFC previously reviewed the planner during a legal dispute and said the ingredients did not match the company’s original secret blend. Reports at the time also said the notes were more likely tied to a stuffing recipe than the fried chicken formula. Auction organizers themselves have stopped short of claiming the planner contains the real recipe. They have presented it as an intriguing historical artifact, not proof of the company’s core trade secret. That distinction matters: even if the planner includes an 11-spice combination, there is no confirmed evidence that it is the exact formula used for KFC’s chicken. What the buyer is more likely to gain is a significant piece of restaurant history with strong provenance from the Settle family, who preserved Sanders-related items for decades after buying Blackwood Hall and the Claudia Sanders Dinner House in 1974. Unless new, verifiable documentation emerges beyond the planner entry itself, the purchase is unlikely to settle the mystery KFC has denied for years.

Q: As real estate bids close this week, who will seize control of the original KFC headquarters and its highly coveted intellectual property?

It is not yet known who will take control of the original KFC headquarters site and the related intellectual property. The real estate and business assets are being sold through a confidential sealed-bid auction, with offers due by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 31, and the sellers retain the right to accept, counter or reject any bid. What is up for grabs is unusually broad: Blackwood Hall, Colonel Harland Sanders’ former home; the nearly 25,000-square-foot Claudia Sanders Dinner House and banquet hall; the operating restaurant and event business; furniture, fixtures and equipment; goodwill; and trademark and intellectual-property rights tied to the Claudia Sanders business, including references to the Lady Colonel brand. The property remains open during the sale. The auction has drawn global interest, according to organizers Jonathan Klunk, Bill Menish and their team, but no winning bidder has been publicly identified. Because this is not an absolute auction, the highest offer does not automatically win. That means control will go only to the bidder the Settle family and auction organizers decide offers the best acceptable package, not simply the top dollar. Until sealed bids are opened and a bid is accepted, ownership of the original headquarters property and its associated IP remains unresolved.

3 articles · Updated · WDRB · Jul 27

Nearly 100 personal items tied to Colonel Harland Sanders were previewed in Shelbyville on Monday before a live and online auction starting at 6 p.m. July 28.
Highlights include Sanders' working planner, handwritten recipes, bow tie, White House correspondence and 20-22 ceremonial city keys, with organizers offering extra viewing time for serious bidders.
The sale extends beyond memorabilia: sealed bids for the Sanders estate and restaurant property are due by 11:59 p.m. July 31.
That offering covers 3.01 acres, a 5,000-square-foot Blackwood Hall residence, a nearly 25,000-square-foot restaurant and banquet hall, plus the operating business, equipment and trademark rights.
The Shelbyville site served as Sanders' home and the Claudia Sanders Dinner House for more than 25 years, and bidders can participate worldwide.