Key Takeaways
- Katie Murphy gave birth to her son Cody in a KFC parking lot in Bromsgrove, England, after her partner, Stephen Kirby, pulled over and caught the baby in their car.
- The healthy newborn quickly earned the nickname “Colonel Cody,” and his parents plan to celebrate his first birthday at KFC.
- KFC sent the family merchandise and vouchers, calling itself “honored” to host Cody’s unexpected arrival.
A routine drive to the hospital turned into a KFC delivery of an entirely different kind.
According to The New York Post, Katie Murphy gave birth to her son in the passenger seat of her partner’s car after they pulled into the parking lot of a KFC restaurant in Bromsgrove, England. The Aug. 29 arrival happened so quickly that Stephen Kirby had just enough time to race around the vehicle and catch the baby himself.
The newborn’s name is Cody. But considering where he entered the world, his parents have already given him a more appropriate nickname: “Colonel Cody.”
Murphy, 33, and Kirby, 32, had visited the hospital earlier that day after Murphy began experiencing contractions. They were sent home around 4 p.m. after being told the baby was not ready to arrive. Cody apparently had other plans.
When the contractions continued for several more hours, the couple—who also have a 4-year-old daughter—headed back to the hospital at about 9 p.m. Roughly halfway into the 30-minute drive, Murphy realized they were not going to make it.
“Katie said she could feel something and knew the baby was coming,” Kirby said.
Kirby called emergency services and spotted a familiar KFC nearby. He pulled into the parking lot, but there was no time to wait for paramedics. Cody arrived at 9:35 p.m., with his father catching him at the open passenger-side door.
“It all happened so fast,” Murphy said. “Thankfully, the ambulance was with us about five minutes later and took us to hospital.”
Despite making his entrance in a parked car rather than a delivery room, Cody was healthy and happy. His mother said he was doing well “despite his abrupt entrance into the world in his dad’s car.”
The setting made “Colonel Cody”—a nod to KFC founder Colonel Harland Sanders—the obvious family nickname. It also gave his parents an easy answer to at least two future milestones.
“It was decided that we have to take him to KFC for his first birthday and get him his first weekend job there,” Murphy said.
KFC marked the birth by sending the family branded merchandise and vouchers. “We’re honored to have been the place of Cody’s birth and are sending bucket loads of love to the whole family,” a company spokesperson said. “We can’t wait to welcome them back for a meal to mark the occasion.”
Colonel Cody’s arrival gives the fast-food chain an unexpectedly upbeat moment amid major change. Yum! Brands filings show that KFC closed 207 U.S. restaurants between January 2025 and March 31, 2026, reducing its domestic footprint by roughly 5%.
But the company is not retreating everywhere. KFC added 2,971 restaurants outside the United States in 2025 and another 643 international locations during the first quarter of 2026. Global system sales reached $36.4 billion last year, with just 13% coming from the United States.
