LOUISVILLE, KY - KFC® ranks highest among all chicken restaurant chains for its convenience and menu variety, according to a national consumer survey sponsored by Restaurants & Institutions (R&I), the leading foodservice industry publication.

R&I's"Choice in Chains Survey" measures the opinions of customers nationwide. Customers evaluated regional and national chains from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) on food quality, menu variety, value, service, atmosphere, cleanliness and convenience.

"We're honored to be recognized by our customers and Restaurants & Institutions as the category leader in convenience and menu variety," said Chuck Rawley, KFC president and chief operating officer. "Our restaurant operators strive each and everyday to provide families with a great dining experience by providing a variety of high quality meals at a great value."

Known around the world for its flavorful buckets of chicken, KFC recently introduced five freshly made chicken sandwiches that feature premium ingredients, innovative recipes and a variety of flavors and textures. The sandwiches, made of white-meat chicken and served on toasted Pepperidge Farm® buns, include Tender Roast®, Triple Crunch®, Triple Crunch® Zinger™, Original Recipe® and Honey BBQ.

R&I's Choice in Chains survey was fielded last fall by NFO Research Inc., Greenwich, Conn. Questionnaires were mailed to 4,000 households nationwide, selected to reflect U.S. Census data on such factors as age and household income. A total of 2,819 surveys were returned.

KFC, based in Louisville, Ky., is the world’s most popular chicken restaurant chain specializing in Original Recipe® , Extra Crispy™ and Colonel’s Crispy Strips™ chicken with homestyle sides and five freshly made chicken sandwiches. Since its founding by Colonel Harland Sanders in 1952, KFC has been serving customers delicious, already-prepared complete family meals at affordable prices. There are more than 10,300 KFC outlets in 83 countries around the world serving nearly 8 million customers each day. KFC is a subsidiary of Tricon Global Restaurants, Inc., Louisville, Ky. (NYSE: YUM)