Honey Combo in Dubai... K-Chicken Popular in the US, Middle East, and Southeast Asia [K-Retail Expanding Overseas]

Honey Original (left) and Red Wing (right) of Kyochon Chicken.

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Hyewon] "It's so crispy and there's a lot of flavor in here. I like it a lot." ("Hanguk-ui chicken-eun mucheok basakago pungmi-ga itseumnida. Jeongmal joh-ayo.")

Kyochon Chicken, Genesis BBQ, Goobne Chicken, and other Korean chicken franchises are capturing the taste buds of foreigners in overseas markets. This is thanks to the widespread popularity of K-food fueled by the Korean Wave.

Among food items, chicken is undoubtedly the most notable in overseas markets. Its crispy texture and various flavors?sweet, sour, and spicy?are winning over foreigners from all around the world.

According to the industry on the 20th, a survey conducted last November by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korean Food Promotion Institute targeted 8,500 locals residing in 17 overseas cities including New York (USA), Toronto (Canada), Paris (France), and London (UK). The results showed that among foreigners who have tried Korean food, Korean-style chicken (30%) was the most frequently eaten dish, surpassing kimchi and bibimbap. The highest number of respondents (16.1%) also selected Korean-style chicken as their favorite Korean dish, with its share increasing by 2.8 percentage points compared to the previous year.

Kyochon Chicken's first store in Dubai, 'Deira City Center Branch'.

Starting its overseas expansion early with entry into the U.S. in 2007, Kyochon opened its first stores in China in 2009 and Indonesia in 2013, launching a broad business scope. Last year, it signed a Master Franchise (MF) agreement with Galadari Brothers Group to actively enter the Middle Eastern market, opening its first store, 'Deira City Center Branch,' in Dubai, Middle East, in December. This location surpassed sales of 460,000 dirhams (approximately 150 million KRW) within a month of opening, signaling a positive start in the Middle Eastern market.

As of this month, Kyochon operates a total of 69 stores across six countries (USA, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Dubai in the Middle East). It focuses on targeting overseas markets by offering differentiated localized menus that reflect the characteristics and food culture of each country. Its signature menus such as Soy Sauce, Red, and Honey series are reportedly very popular.

In particular, the 'Honey Series,' known domestically as the epitome of sweet and salty flavor and the most popular, ranks number one in sales in the USA, China, and Indonesia. In Thailand, where spicy flavors are preferred, the 'Red Series' is the most popular menu. In Malaysia, the 'Half & Half Series,' which allows customers to enjoy both the popular Red Series and Soy Sauce Series, holds the highest ranking.

Earlier this year, locals were enjoying chicken at the BBQ K-Town branch located on 32nd Street in Manhattan, New York.

Genesis BBQ operates 2,250 stores in 58 countries worldwide, which is even more than its approximately 1,800 domestic stores. Its expansion countries include the USA, Japan, Taiwan, China, Europe, and Southeast Asia.

Among these, it operates about 250 stores in North America alone. Last year, it ranked 5th in 'Fastest Growing Restaurant Brands in the USA' selected by the global dining industry magazine Nations Restaurant News. It was also selected as one of the top 500 restaurant brands in the USA based on sales. Particularly in the USA, stores where pre-fried chicken is served in a salad bar style for customers to pick up directly are reportedly popular. Last year, overseas sales reached 117.8 billion KRW, growing 101% compared to the previous year (58.5 billion KRW).

Yoon Hong-geun, Chairman of BBQ, recently declared, "Our goal is to operate 50,000 overseas stores within three years," and confidently stated, "Our rival is McDonald's in the USA."

Interior image of Banting branch, the 4th store of Goobne Chicken in Malaysia.

Goobne Chicken, a latecomer to overseas expansion, is showing strong momentum, being mentioned as a franchise to watch in the USA. Goobne began its overseas expansion in November 2014 with its first store in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. Currently, it operates 37 stores across 9 countries overseas and aims to operate 100 overseas stores by next year. Since November last year, it has been accelerating its overseas expansion by opening new stores in Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, and China.

Goobne captivates local tastes with a variety of menus, including not only its existing chicken menus like Original, Volcano, and Galbi Cheonwang but also pizza menus such as Goobne Chicago Deep Dish Pizza and Goobne Shrimp Chicago Deep Dish Pizza. It has also developed Korean food menus. In Hong Kong, for example, it launched a tteokbokki series with iron plate cheese, spicy broth, rose, carbonara, and jjajang flavors, as well as japchae and special rolled egg menus, which have become so popular that they rank first or second in sales.

Jung Taeyong, CEO of G&Food, said, "We will strive to open a total of 100 overseas stores by 2023."