Bhc opens 1st Philippine store, tailoring menu to local tastes

Bhc's first Philippine store in Quezon City / Courtesy of bhc

Dining Brands Group's fried chicken brand bhc has opened its first store in the Philippines, as part of the company's push to expand further into Southeast Asia.

The fried chicken brand opened its first branch in the country in SM North EDSA, located in Quezon City and is one of the Philippines' largest shopping malls, drawing heavy foot traffic from families and younger shoppers, according to Dining Brands Group.

The company said the location gives the brand strong visibility as it works to build recognition in the Philippine market.

Dining Brands Group CEO Song Ho-sup attended the store's opening ceremony on Wednesday.

The roughly 1,900-square-foot store seats 86 and operates on a limited-service restaurant model suited to mall customers with shorter visit times, allowing the chain to serve freshly cooked orders quickly, the company said.

The menu includes bhc's fried and seasoned chicken along with its signature flavors — Bburinkle, Hot Bburinkle, Matchoking and Red King — served by the piece, along with six dipping sauces.

Reflecting dining habits in the Philippines and elsewhere in Southeast Asia, the store also offers meal-style combos built around chicken pieces, including chicken-and-rice sets.

The location also marks the brand's first rollout of Filipino-style spaghetti, a sweeter dish popular with both locals and tourists, alongside three chicken burgers, cheese balls and Korean dishes including japchae noodles and tteokbokki, including a rose version.

"The Philippines has a strong dining-out culture and active chicken consumption, so we built our menu lineup strategically around local food culture and dining patterns," Nam Hwa-yeon, Dining Brands Group's executive managing director for overseas business, said in a statement, adding that the company plans to keep expanding its presence in the market starting with this first location.

The opening follows a July 2024 site agreement with mall operator SM Supermalls and a master franchise agreement with Philippine retail company Suyen Corporation, with the first store opening roughly a year later after extensive local market analysis, the company said.

Bhc currently operates 49 stores across nine countries outside Korea, including the Philippines, Hong Kong, Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the United States and Canada.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.