Overview
- The Menish Group held a live and online sale of Sanders memorabilia on July 28 that sold more than 100 items for nearly $300,000, with the 1964 planner fetching $30,000.
- Sealed bids for the real estate and operating Claudia Sanders Dinner House and Blackwood Hall remain open through July 31 for a roughly 3.01-acre commercially zoned parcel that includes a 5,000-square-foot residence and a nearly 25,000-square-foot restaurant and banquet hall.
- The Settle family, who bought the estate from Harland and Claudia Sanders in 1974, preserved the collection and continued to operate the restaurant before deciding to offer the assets to the public.
- Auctioneers highlighted the 1964 brown planner that lists 11 herbs and spices but did not confirm it as KFC’s secret recipe, and Yum! Brands says the company’s official recipe is stored separately in a secure digital vault.
- Local supporters want a buyer who will keep the restaurant operating and care for the property, while prospective purchasers face commercial, preservation and intellectual-property questions tied to the sale.