If you've ever asked for a Coke at KFC and heard "Is Pepsi okay?", that's about to change. KFC announced on October 15 that its U.S. restaurants are switching from PepsiCo to Coca-Cola. That ends one of the longest-running fountain partnerships in fast food.
The rollout starts in January 2027, and Coca-Cola products will be in all of KFC's roughly 4,000 U.S. restaurants by spring. In a memo to franchisees and employees, KFC U.S. President Catherine Tan-Gillespie said the chain expects to be pouring Coke everywhere by the end of the first quarter.
KFC has been a Pepsi chain for almost four decades. PepsiCo bought KFC in 1986, part of a push to expand beyond drinks into food and snacks, and made Pepsi its exclusive U.S. beverage. In 1997, PepsiCo spun off its restaurant business, which became Yum! Brands, the parent company of KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. KFC kept serving Pepsi even after the spin-off. Its fountains stayed Pepsi for nearly 30 more years, long after Pepsi stopped owning the chain.
The switch is part of what KFC calls the Kentucky Fried Comeback, a broader effort to modernize its menu and win back U.S. diners who have moved to rivals like Chick-fil-A and Popeyes. Tan-Gillespie called the switch a critical step in that comeback. Both Chick-fil-A and Popeyes serve Coca-Cola, so KFC will soon pour the same soda as its biggest competitors.
The change only applies to the U.S. KFC's international restaurants keep serving Pepsi, and Taco Bell is keeping its PepsiCo agreement too. Tan-Gillespie said Pepsi remains an important partner for Yum! Brands and for KFC's markets abroad.
Coke and Pepsi have fought over big restaurant partners for decades. A major chain means fountain sales, and it also puts a brand in front of millions of customers every day. Large chains rarely switch, but it does happen. In 2024, Pepsi took Subway, the largest U.S. restaurant chain by number of locations, away from Coke. Coke has been winning its share as well. In recent years it has also pulled Culver's, Arby's and Panda Express away from Pepsi.
The timing is rough for PepsiCo. Earlier this month, CEO Ramon Laguarta said growth and margin recovery were taking longer than planned as higher costs weigh on the company. Market watchers have noted that losing a big-name partner like KFC is a bad look for PepsiCo, and it could add to the pressure on the company.
For soda enjoyers, Coca-Cola's lineup will replace PepsiCo brands like Pepsi and Mountain Dew at KFC fountains starting next year. If a Mountain Dew with your bucket of chicken is part of your routine, you have until roughly spring to enjoy it.
We'll update KFC's listing on WhatKindOfSoda as locations make the switch. If your local KFC starts pouring Coke, let us know!