Here’s Your Chance to Buy Colonel Sanders’ House — and Maybe Start a Restaurant Chain

How big of a Kentucky Fried Chicken fan are you? Like, do you occasionally get cravings for their mashed potatoes? Or, on the other end of the spectrum, would you be interested in owning three acres of real estate containing the Sanders’ former home and the Claudia Sanders Dinner House, along with the rights to the Claudia Sanders name and a laundry list of Colonel Sanders’ memorabilia?

Yes, if you have a passion for KFC — and pockets deep enough to cover the undisclosed sale price — all of the above can be yours. A massive piece of Shelbyville, Kentucky property purchased by Colonel Harland Sanders and his wife Claudia in 1959 has been put up for sale. Included on the site is Blackwood Hall, a 5,000-square-foot residence that was home to the Colonel until his death and was owned by Claudia until 1984.

PHOTO: Andrew Kung Group

PHOTO: Andrew Kung Group

PHOTO: Andrew Kung Group

Plus, beyond the house itself, the sale also includes historical items such as “Colonel Sanders original Kentucky Colonel certificate, a Happy Birthday letter from President Nixon, recipes in Colonel Sanders’ handwriting, Colonel Sanders’ Monogrammed Bible, money clip, wristwatch, and many more.”

PHOTO: Andrew Kung Group

PHOTO: Andrew Kung Group

PHOTO: Andrew Kung Group

But the right buyer will have a lot more responsibility than lounging in Colonel Sanders’ living room. A key component of the listing is the Claudia Sanders Dinner House — a 25,000-square-foot restaurant and banquet hall which brings in over 100,000 guests per year.

PHOTO: Andrew Kung Group

PHOTO: Andrew Kung Group

PHOTO: Andrew Kung Group

The sitdown restaurant serving a spin on southern classics (like fried chicken, of course) was originally created by Colonel Sanders as a tribute to his wife and has been run by the Settles family since the 1970s. But now the Settles are looking to retire, so not only is the restaurant up for sale, but also ownership of all its trademarks including the name, image, and likeness of Claudia Sanders and Claudia Sanders Dinner House.

“The restaurant has only been owned by the Sanders and their close friends, the Settles,” Morgan Hancock, a listing agent on the property, stated in the announcement. “The Settles are now committed to finding the next caretaker of this historic brand that will not only fight to maintain its legacy, employees, and staple dishes here in this community, but potentially expand the Claudia Sanders brand nationwide.”

And so, no, simply being a rich fanboy is probably not enough to score you this historic KFC property. However, if you think you have what it takes to expand Claudia Sanders’ brand and create your own Colonel Sanders-esque restaurateur success story, the estate sale is being handled by Six Degrees Real Estate.