Four Previous Failures with Chicken Pizza...
Kenchizza Expected to Surpass Kenchibap in Popularity
KFC Korea is expanding its non-burger product lineup. Following the launch of "Kenchibap" (chicken + rice), the company will release a new product combining chicken and pizza, called "Kenchizza," on July 8, with the goal of challenging the sales volume of its signature menu item, the Zinger Burger.
At a media event held on July 3 at the KFC Konkuk University Entrance store, Baek Minjung, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of KFC Korea, stated, "'Kenchibap,' which was launched last January, surpassed 1 million units sold in Korea in just about five months." She added, "With the new menu 'Kenchizza,' we expect not only to exceed the sales performance of 'Kenchibap,' but also to reach a sales level similar to that of the Zinger Burger." According to KFC, the cumulative sales of the Zinger Burger reached 160 million units as of last year.
"Kenchizza" is a menu item that uses a crispy chicken fillet (fried chicken breast) as a pizza dough base, topped with cheddar and mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, pepperoni, onion, olives, bell peppers, and more.
The new product "Kenchizza" that KFC Korea will launch on the 8th. The price is 6,300 KRW for a single item, and 10,900 KRW for the Super Box (Kenchizza, coleslaw, drink, egg tart, hot crispy drumstick). Photo by Han Yeju
Four Failures with "Chizza"... A New Attempt with a "Standardized Process"
In fact, this product is an improved version of "Chizza," which has faced four previous failures. First introduced by KFC Philippines in July 2015, it was later launched in Korea under the name "Chizza." However, due to inconsistencies in taste between stores ("store-to-store variation"), sales were discontinued after just one year. The product was relaunched three more times in 2019 and 2021 with different recipes, but each time, sales were halted within a few months due to cooking inconsistencies across stores.
KFC is making its fifth attempt with this product after achieving "taste standardization." Jeon Youngwook, Team Leader of the KFC Korea R&D Center, explained, "'Kenchizza' was a very difficult menu to prepare in stores because it required pizza, cheese, and sauce to all be included. We solved this by creating a process called 'Puck,' which allows the same taste to be delivered regardless of the store or who prepares it." "Puck" is a cooking method inspired by a hockey puck, featuring an assembly process for the ingredients. The pizza toppings, made from seven ingredients, are manufactured in an oval shape at the production plant and sent to stores, where staff simply place them on the chicken fillet and melt them. KFC is preparing to file a patent application for this technology within the month.
On the 3rd, Baek Minjung, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of KFC Korea, Chef Choi Hyunseok, and Jeon Youngwook, Team Leader of KFC Korea R&D Center, introduced Kenchizza at the KFC Konkuk University Entrance store. Photo by Han Yeju
Targeting Overseas Markets... KFC Is Up for Sale Again
KFC is also aiming to expand Kenchizza into global markets. "Kenchibap" is currently sold as the same menu item at 22 KFC stores in Mongolia. In June, the company exported a Kenchibap advertising campaign to Taiwan, with Chef Choi Hyunseok participating in a local press conference.
Meanwhile, since private equity fund Orchestra PE acquired KFC in April 2023, the company has accelerated profitability improvements. KFC has focused on streamlining store operations by closing underperforming locations and relocating stores. After 45 years in Korea, KFC also began franchising, opening 15 franchise stores last year alone.
KFC Korea recorded sales of 292.3 billion KRW last year, a 17.7% increase from the previous year. Operating profit rose 469.1% to 16.4 billion KRW. This marks the highest performance in KFC Korea's history. Orchestra PE has recently put KFC Korea up for sale again, with the acquisition price reported to be around 400 billion KRW.
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