K-Chicken Thriving in the United States, the Birthplace of Chicken

BBQ's Sales Increased by 42% Year-on-Year Last Year
Currently 150 Stores... 250 Across North America
Kyochon Expands Franchise Business in Hawaii and More
Goobne Opens First North American Store in LA with Large Korean Community

In February this year, locals are enjoying chicken at the BBQ K-Town branch located on 32nd Street in Manhattan, New York. Photo by BBQ

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Hyewon] The ‘K-Chicken’ craze is sweeping across North America. Led by Genesis BBQ, domestic chicken franchises are achieving tangible results in the U.S. market, the birthplace of chicken, while accelerating the expansion of local stores.

According to BBQ on the 18th, BBQ’s U.S. sales last year reached $76.9 million (approximately 101.1 billion KRW), a 41.9% increase compared to the previous year. This is a 121% surge from 2020 ($33 million) and nearly tripled compared to 2019 ($28 million), just before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pace of store expansion is also accelerating. BBQ first entered the U.S. in 2006 and has expanded its presence to New York, New Jersey, Washington, Texas, Nevada, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and other states. It operated 78 stores in 2020, 101 stores last year, and currently runs 150 stores across the U.S. With over 100 stores in Canada as well, BBQ now has a total of 250 stores throughout North America.

The global foodservice industry magazine, Nations Restaurant News, ranked BBQ 2nd among the 25 ‘fastest-growing restaurant brands in the U.S.’ last month.

BBQ aims to open 50,000 stores worldwide by 2030. Yoon Hong-geun, Chairman of BBQ, stated, "By around next year, the number of stores in North America, including Canada, is expected to reach 1,000," adding, "We will catch up to McDonald’s, the world’s number one global franchise with about 37,000 stores."

BBQ plans to speed up its U.S. business expansion by opening its first stores in seven states this year’s second half, including Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Oklahoma. It also plans to introduce and expand BSK (BBQ Smart Kitchen) stores in the U.S., a new delivery and takeout-focused business model. This strategy aims to strengthen the delivery business, a key strength of Korean-style chicken, beyond just the store model. The BSK business, launched by BBQ in June 2020 to prepare for the post-COVID era, features a wide range of location options and lower initial investment and fixed costs. It has become popular domestically, surpassing 300 stores within a year of its launch.

Other domestic chicken franchises such as Kyochon and Goobne Chicken are also focusing on their U.S. businesses. Kyochon, which opened three stores in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the end of last year, recently started franchising in the U.S., beginning with Hawaii. Having established the brand and product marketability and operational strategies through directly managed stores, they see a promising outlook for franchising.

Goobne, operated by G&Food, opened its first North American store on the 12th of this month at ‘Hannam Chain Del Amo’ in the Korean community area of Torrance, Los Angeles (LA). Goobne explained, "Reflecting the increasing awareness and preference for Korean chicken due to the Korean Wave in North America, we opened the store in LA, which has the highest concentration of Korean residents in the U.S." G&Food currently operates 41 stores across 10 countries.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.