A view of a KFC restaurant in Vallejo, California.<\/p>\n
Justin Sullivan | Getty Images<\/p>\n
KFC’s U.S. restaurants will ditch PepsiCo<\/a> and switch to Coca-Cola<\/a> beverages next year, marking the first time in decades that the Yum Brands<\/a> chain has changed its drink supplier, the restaurant company said Thursday.<\/p>\n Some of KFC’s international markets serve Coke products, but the chain’s U.S. restaurants have stuck with PepsiCo drinks ever since Pepsi bought KFC<\/a> in 1986. At the time of the acquisition, KFC was Coke’s second-largest fountain account, trailing only McDonald’s. Pepsi later spun off KFC, along with sister chains Pizza Hut and Taco Bell \u2014 but even as the combined Yum Brands, the company stayed loyal to its previous owner. Without Pepsi, Taco Bell would not serve its iconic Mountain Dew Baja Blast.<\/p>\n The change comes as KFC aims to win back U.S. diners, who have ditched the fried chicken chain for rivals such as Chick-fil-A or Popeyes. <\/p>\n “This decision is a critical step in the Kentucky Fried Comeback,” KFC U.S. President Catherine Tan-Gillespie wrote in a memo to franchisees and employees obtained by CNBC. “A new beverage offering, with a new partner in Coca-Cola, gives us a platform to innovate, meet changing tastes and give customers more reasons to choose us.”<\/p>\n Beverage cups stacked inside a Yum Brands KFC restaurant in Shelbyville, Kentucky, Jan. 29, 2021.<\/p>\n Luke Sharrett | Bloomberg | Getty Images<\/p>\n For many fast-food chains, beverages have become a critical way to attract consumers. A number of restaurants, including McDonald’s and Taco Bell, have broadened their drink offerings with options such as refreshers or “dirty soda.” For its part, KFC recently unveiled new drinks, including iced coffees and shakes, at Open House<\/a>, its innovation restaurant in McKinney, Texas. <\/p>\n