The Ontario home where Colonel Sanders, the founder and iconic face of KFC, once lived has recently been listed on the real estate market with an asking price of $1.5 million. Located at 1337 Melton Drive in Mississauga, the property served as a part-time residence for Harland David Sanders and his wife, Claudia, from 1965 until his death in 1980.
A Piece of Fast-Food History
When Sanders moved north to Canada in 1965 to oversee the expansion and operations of the brand then known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, he and his wife settled into a modest bungalow near the corner of Dixie Avenue and The Queensway. According to Visit Mississauga, the home became their base for part of each year until Sanders passed away in Louisville, Kentucky.
At the time of his relocation, Sanders was 75 years old and already a millionaire. He had sold off most of his franchises to a group of U.S. investors a year earlier but retained franchising rights and continued as the brand's trademark and quality controller.
The Sanders Legacy in Canada
Upon arriving in Canada, Sanders enlisted the help of Toronto lawyer Terrence Donnelly, whom he had met at the CNE Food Pavilion during an earlier visit. Donnelly became his legal counsel, sat on Sanders' board of directors, and eventually led the Harland Sanders Charitable Organization, a registered Canadian charity that has donated millions to healthcare initiatives, carrying on the Colonel's legacy.
In 2000, Trillium Health Partners, a community-based, academically affiliated Ontario health network, named its women's and children's care center the Colonel Harland Sanders Family Care Centre in recognition of his donations over the years.
The Home Today
The property, listed by Jaclyn Deme of Meta Realty, is described as an impeccably maintained 4-level side split with over 2,000 square feet of finished space. It features four bedrooms, three full bathrooms, two laundry rooms, an open-concept kitchen, and multiple living and family rooms. A standout feature is the private main-floor primary bedroom retreat, complete with an accessible ensuite bathroom featuring a skylight and heated flooring, as well as a private laundry and mudroom with ample storage.
The home's footprint has changed since Sanders and his wife lived there, with the most recent addition completed in 2014, partially designed by award-winning Mississauga-based interior designer Jane Lockhart.
A Unique Opportunity
While the listing does not explicitly mention its famous former occupant, the home offers a rare chance to own a piece of fast-food history. The Colonel's story began in Indiana, and he first sold his fried chicken at a roadside restaurant in Kentucky during the Great Depression. The first KFC franchise opened in 1952 in Salt Lake City, Utah, where a store remains to this day. That original franchisee also used Sanders' likeness in branding, created the iconic finger lickin' good catchphrase, and introduced the cardboard bucket of chicken.
Sanders later abandoned his own restaurant and traveled across the U.S., franchising his Original Recipe to restaurateurs, eventually building the largest fast-food chain in the country at one point.
