KFC, Dave Thomas, and Focus

In 1962, Colonel Harland Sanders hired Dave Thomas to turn around four struggling KFC locations.

One of Thomas’s initiatives was to drastically simplify the menu, from dozens of items to four: chicken, salads, desserts, and beverages.

Thomas’s efforts paid off, and he went on to apply the same focus and disicipline at Wendy’s.

I love these quotes from his 1991 biography Dave’s Way:

“Keep it focused …You can’t be all over the map.”
“Watch for creep … If you add an item, ask yourself: What am I going to get rid of to make room for it?”

Too many products look like a bad takeout menu: so many choices, none of them compelling.

PS – On a dare, I once ate the entire Everyday Value Menu in a single sitting. I’d do it again, too.