KFC launches lawsuit against Church’s Texas Chicken over ‘Original Recipe’

KFC has launched a lawsuit against Church’s Texas Chicken.

The chicken restaurants reportedly dispute the use of trademarked words.

Church’s has been using the words “Original Recipe” in its advertising and promotions.

“On the block, flavor recognizes flavor. IYKYK. Different decade, same Church’s. Our original recipe is back,” a Church’s post on X reads. 

The use of the words “original recipe” violates KFC trademark rights, according to multiple news reports.

The lawsuit claims that beginning Sept. 30, Church’s began using the phrase and ignored KFC’s Oct. 24 letter objecting to the ads.

The Original Recipe of “11 herbs and spices” is one of the most famous trade secrets in the restaurant business.

KFC said they have been using the phrase “original recipe” for over half a century. The ad “is likely to create confusion in the marketplace and dilute the ORIGINAL RECIPE® Mark,” the lawsuit, which was filed in US District Court in Texas, said.

“On behalf of all fried chicken lovers out there, we take it personally when another company tries to claim our iconic taste and branding as their own,” a KFC spokesperson told news outlets.

Church’s is reportedly not commenting on the case.

The U.S. chicken restaurants both have locations in Canada but KFC has a strong connection to the GTA.

The founder of KFC, Harland David Sanders, more commonly known as Colonel Sanders, lived out his final days in Canada.

Although he was born in Henryville, Indiana, in 1965, Sanders moved to Mississauga, Ontario to oversee his Canadian franchises. He bought and lived in a bungalow at Melton Drive in the Lakeview area of Mississauga from 1965 to 1980.

The Colonel would often visit the KFC location at the bottom of Tomken and Dundas and just sort of hang around the exit and say “thank you for purchasing Kentucky Fried Chicken” as you left.