[Report] From a Small Fried Chicken Shop to a National "Chicken Maker" Legend... Kyochon’s First Store Becomes a Gumi Landmark After 34 Years

'Kyochon Tongdak Gumi Branch 1' and 'Gyochon1991-ro' Media Tour
Street created in collaboration with Gumi City... Total investment of 1.8 billion won

On the 19th, in a commercial complex of an apartment building in Songjeong-dong, Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, a small store of about 33 square meters, which was opened under the name 'Kyochon Tongdak' by Kwon Won Kang, the founder and chairman of Kyochon Chicken, on March 13, 1991, has been reborn as a local landmark after 34 years. The store sign still displays the old name 'Kyochon Tongdak' instead of the current 'KyoChon', and the entrance area allows visitors to reminisce about the time when a 40-year-old man fried chicken in this small space. While preserving traces of the past, this space also embodies the current brand philosophy, making it both the starting point and a symbolic place for Kyochon. Centered around this location, Kyochon F&B has promoted a cultural space project, including the creation of 'Gyochon1991-ro'.

On the 19th, 'Kyochon Chicken Gumi Branch 1' located in Songjeong-dong, Gumi City, Gyeongsangbuk-do. Photo by Han Yeju

On this day, Kyochon F&B held a media tour of the 'Kyochon Tongdak Gumi Branch 1' and the Kyochon1991 cultural street, 'Gyochon1991-ro'. Recently, Gumi City designated the first honorary street name in the city, 'Gyochon1991-ro', for the section that includes the first Kyochon Tongdak store and the nearby area (a 500-meter stretch from the Intercity Bus Terminal to Dong-A Department Store). For Kyochon Chicken, which has grown into a chicken franchise operating more than 1,000 stores nationwide, this project serves as an opportunity to reaffirm the significance of its first store.

At Kyochon 1991, colorful benches and rest areas featuring Kyochon's Honey, Red, and other menu items have been set up in various spots. Photo by Han Yeju

A total of 1.8 billion won was invested in this project. Of this, Kyochon F&B contributed 1.3 billion won, while Gumi City provided 500 million won. This project, which was carried out over a year and a half in cooperation with Gumi City, aims not only to promote the brand but also to achieve 'coexistence' with the local community.

Lim Younghwan, head of the Strategic Store Team, explained, "In fact, Gumi is often associated with its image as an industrial city, but the city government expressed hope that more people would travel to Gumi. We started this project thinking it would be great if the first store could contribute to Gumi's tourism industry."

Gyochon1991-ro is not simply a chicken street, but rather a project aimed at improving the local environment. In a previously run-down area that did not even have floor tiles, new benches, rest areas, and sculptures have been installed. Benches painted in colors inspired by Kyochon's signature menu items such as honey sauce and red sauce, sculptures shaped like honey drops, and an egg-shaped bus stop have transformed the area into a place where local seniors can rest. An abandoned green space nearby has been turned into 'Chimaek Park', and apartment stairways, old public restrooms, and an underpass have also been renovated.

A phone booth where you can listen to the episode of Kyochon’s first store located on Kyochon 1991-ro. Photo by Han Yeju

There are also spaces where visitors can experience episodes from the time of the company's founding. Notably, next to the store, a delivery vehicle used by Chairman Kwon at the time of the opening has been recreated at half its original size and is on display. This commemorates Chairman Kwon's story of delivering chicken with all the doors closed and without air conditioning even in summer, for fear that the chicken would get cold.

In another area, a 'phone booth content' was installed, inspired by the story that staff would call the 114 directory assistance every day to ensure the Kyochon number was recognized. Lim explained, "In the old days, when direct promotion was not possible, staff would call 114 every day and ask for the Kyochon Tongdak number so that operators would quickly recall Kyochon Tongdak when customers inquired about chicken stores."