When people think of the history of fast food in Iran, they may imagine local restaurants serving kebabs, hamburgers, sandwiches, and traditional Persian dishes. Few people would expect that one of the most recognizable American fast-food brands in the world once had a brief presence in Tehran—just months before one of the most consequential political revolutions of the twentieth century transformed the country.
According to the story that has circulated for decades, the first American-style fried-chicken restaurant in Iran was an outlet of Kentucky Fried Chicken, better known around the world as KFC. The restaurant reportedly opened in Tehran in June 1978, near Tajrish Square, in the northern part of the capital. Its arrival represented something more than the opening of another restaurant. It was a visible symbol of the growing international influence of American popular culture and consumer businesses in Iran during the final years of the Pahlavi era.
The timing, however, could hardly have been more dramatic.
Only about eight months after the restaurant opened, Iran was swept by a revolution. The monarchy of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi collapsed, and the Islamic Republic was established under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Along with enormous political, social, and economic changes, the revolution altered the country’s relationship with Western countries and Western cultural symbols.
