InterviewBonchon, early mover in K fried-chicken exports, eyes Korea return

Bonchon's Soy Garlic fried chicken / Courtesy of Bonchon International

Only four years after the fried chicken brand was founded in Busan, Bonchon opened its first franchised eatery outside Korea in Manhattan in 2006, and its first directly managed one in the same city in 2010.

Bryan Shin, head of Bonchon International / Courtesy of Bonchon International

Bonchon International, operator of the brand, has since witnessed major Korean chicken firms follow in its footsteps to enter the world’s largest consumer market. However, Bryan Shin, head of Bonchon International, knows that Bonchon's status as the pioneer in the competitive global Korean fried chicken market remains unchallenged.

Bonchon International now operates exclusively outside Korea, with approximately 500 restaurants across 9 countries. It achieved nearly $400 million in overall sales last year.

The United States and the Philippines are its most important markets, with about 160 establishments each. Thailand, with around 140 Bonchon businesses, is also another pillar of the company's global markets.

According to the Korean Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs in February, the U.S. overtook China last year to become the largest global market for Korean food companies, with more than 1,100 businesses in total, accounting for 23.8 percent worldwide. Fried chicken was the most popular Korean food category among global consumers at 39 percent, outpacing bakeries and more conventional Korean cuisine. The government also cited Bonchon as one of Korea’s two global market leaders in the chicken industry.

“Our founder wanted to go to a larger global market. The Manhattan restaurants hit the jackpot, seeing queues so long that New York police had to step in to manage traffic. Forbes once reported on how Bonchon is expected to gain on KFC, and Mark Zuckerberg’s visit to a Bonchon in California went viral on social networks," Shin said during an interview with The Korea Times at the company’s Seoul office in Jung District.

"What precedes this reputation and fuels my pride even today is the fact that we were the first-ever Korean fried chicken brand to expand internationally."

A Bonchon restaurant in Dallas, Texas / Courtesy of Bonchon International

The U.S. expansion opened up opportunities in other countries. Company founder Seo Jin-duk received requests from customers in the U.S. looking to open franchised chicken shops, one in the Philippines and another in Thailand. Seo accepted both requests, and Bonchon opened its first location in the Philippines in 2010 and in Thailand the following year.

Bonchon continues to expand its international footprint, with Taiwan and Laos as its latest markets. When the brand entered Europe by opening in Paris in 2023, Shin said it performed well, earning a rating of 4.4 out of 5 on Google Reviews, easing his concerns about how the region would receive the brand.

“Massive Korean brands ventured outside Korea following the COVID-19 pandemic when K-foods were widely introduced worldwide via streaming and other online platforms. But we had begun seeing loyal consumer bases even before. In our early-phase markets like the U.S., the Philippines and Thailand, Bonchon establishments are strongly sustained by deep-rooted fandom,” said Shin, who took over his current office in 2019.

Strict control & sauces

Bonchon’s global markets are all managed by local companies that have signed master franchise contracts with Bonchon. But Shin never let go of his oversight of the overseas restaurants. In fact, he keeps a close watch by dispatching his Seoul-based market analysts and strategy experts to each country at least once every quarter to survey Bonchon businesses there in person — sometimes as mystery shoppers to monitor how local patrons are served. Online comments also serve as a barometer, prompting the company to notify its local partners of any consumer complaints.

Beyond serving as a market watchdog, the head office also assumes a role in inspecting and designating local suppliers of ingredients in each overseas market to ensure product quality.

A Bonchon restaurant in Manila, Philippines, bustles with visitors in this July 2025 photo. Courtesy of Bonchon International

“We keep a close watch on turnover rate, revisit rate and first-time visit rate for each establishment. Our observance over global markets is almost watertight. But we also provide tight-knit support to our global franchisees. As a result, each Bonchon restaurant in the U.S. — our top-performing market in sales per store — generates about $1.5 million in annual revenue on average,” Shin said.

The only ingredient Bonchon directly supplies to its global franchisees is its sauces, which are the brand’s heart and soul, according to Shin.

With a sauce manufacturing plant in Busan, the company has developed a carefully curated lineup of signature sauces, including Soy Garlic and Spicy. The brand’s longevity overseas would not have been possible without them.

“Unlike Western brands like Popeyes and KFC, we make deep-frying batter watery and coat it thin. We also double deep-fry and apply the sauces with a hand brush to leave no spot untouched. This is our know-how for making Bonchon’s juicy and rich flavors,” Shin said.

Bonchon expanded its overseas markets not only with fried chicken but also Korean dishes like japchae, or stir-fried glass noodles with vegetables, and bulgogi, or stir-fried beef, which take up 30 percent of the menu at each restaurant.

To meet local demand, certain dishes have been localized, including soy-marinated salmon in Thailand. Shin noted that these offerings are developed with the same care as the chicken, reinforcing Bonchon as a broader K-food brand beyond fried chicken.

“I have seen other Korean chicken brands expanding overseas add more non-chicken items to the menu. It is hard to dismiss that our approach has influenced the industry,” Shin said.

He said Bonchon will return to Korea, likely in two years or more under his mid- to long-term goal, as he needs time to come up with a strategy to enter the home market of K-food. One thing, however, has already been decided.

“Chicken is a go-to protein — affordable and accessible for everyone. It’s also perfect for delivery. I’ll never position it as a premium category. It should be for all consumers and remain so,” Shin said.