The Story of Granger’s KFC: Serving West Valley Since 1969

Harman’s Kentucky Fried Chicken Opens in Granger (1969)

In May of 1969, Granger welcomed a new and exciting addition to its growing commercial landscape with the grand opening of Harman’s Kentucky Fried Chicken at 3865 West 3500 South.

The opening, scheduled for 3:00 p.m., marked the 14th restaurant in the Harman-operated chain of Kentucky Fried Chicken “Take Home” locations across Utah. At the time, additional stores were already under construction in Cottonwood and Logan, reflecting the rapid expansion of the franchise throughout the state.

The operator behind the Utah franchise, Leon Pete Harman, described the Granger opening as something of a homecoming. Harman was born and raised in Granger, making this location especially meaningful within the growing business he helped build.

For the Granger store, Bil Gulke was named managing partner, bringing prior restaurant experience from his work with the Pancake House in Murray. The goal of the new location was to provide fast service to the Granger–Hunter–Kearns area while serving the signature Kentucky Fried Chicken menu, along with salads, pies, and Harman rolls.

The grand opening included ribbon-cutting ceremonies organized by the Chamber of Commerce, with participation from civic groups and the Granger High School Band, adding to the community celebration.

Construction of the building was completed in just 50 days by Midwest Construction Company of Granger, reflecting the rapid growth along the 3500 South corridor during that era.

Today, more than 57 years later, the Granger KFC location remains in operation and continues to serve the West Valley community. It stands as one of the longest-running restaurant locations in the area, and a lasting reminder of the early commercial development that helped shape modern West Valley City.

This is the original exterior of the KFC location at 3500 South in Granger, as it first appeared when it opened in 1969

This is another view of the exterior of the KFC location in Granger, showing the building as it stood in its early years until renovation in 2019

his image shows the updated appearance of the KFC location following renovations completed in 2019.