#70 • Sanders Cafe Payroll Account Checkbook

Part of The Colonel Sanders Artifact Collection (live auction by The Menish Group Auction & Real Estate)

High bid $3,750.00

Status: Sold

Description Offered here is an original Sanders Cafe Payroll Account checkbook from 1956, issued through The First National Bank of Corbin, Kentucky. While many of the checks remain unused, several completed stubs survive, providing a fascinating glimpse into the financial administration of Colonel Harland Sanders' restaurant business. Among the recorded transactions are payments dated April 27 and April 30, 1956, including checks written to the Director of Internal Revenue and the Kentucky Unemployment Fund, documenting the routine payroll and tax obligations of Sanders Cafe during one of the company's formative years. These surviving entries remind us that behind the legendary recipe and the iconic white suit was a businessman responsible for payroll, taxes, employees, and the countless day-to-day details required to build a successful enterprise. As an original business record from Sanders Cafe, this checkbook offers collectors an authentic connection to the operations that preceded the international growth of Kentucky Fried Chicken. Historical Significance Business history is often preserved through everyday records. Documents such as this payroll checkbook provide a rare look behind the public image of Colonel Sanders, revealing the practical realities of operating a growing restaurant business in mid-century Kentucky. Long before Kentucky Fried Chicken became a global brand, Sanders Cafe was a working business with employees, payroll obligations, and government reporting requirements. Artifacts like this help tell the story of how one local restaurant evolved into one of the world's most recognizable restaurant brands. Provenance From the Claudia Sanders Dinner House Collection. The checkbook originates from the business records of Colonel Harland Sanders and was preserved by the Settle family, longtime friends of Colonel and Claudia Sanders and recipients of numerous personal gifts and business materials. Condition Partially used checkbook with several completed stubs and numerous remaining unused checks. Several checks have been removed, consistent with normal business use. Displays expected age, wear, toning, edge wear, and handling associated with an original mid-century financial record. Prospective bidders are encouraged to review all photographs and conduct their own inspection regarding condition, completeness, and overall preservation.