Bonchon, a leading U.S. international Korean fried chicken brand, has partnered with Christie & Co, the business property adviser to bring its concept to the UK. Christie & Co is seeking an experienced hospitality entrepreneur to become the UK master franchisee and roll out the brand nationally.
Bonchon was founded in Busan, South Korea in 2002 by Jinduk Seo and established in New York City in 2006. The franchisor explains that Bonchon in Korean means ‘my hometown, my roots’ and its mission is ‘To share the joy of Korean comfort food around the world’.
The brand currently has over 420 worldwide stores, with 140 plus in the U.S. and international sites located in the Philippines, Thailand, France, Singapore, Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam.
The franchisor says the expansion is based on solid credentials as exampled by same-store sales in the U.S. up five per cent in 2022, the fifth consecutive year of same-store sales growth, and average unit volumes were 1.7m U.S. dollars.
Accolades
Christie & Co highlights that Bonchon has earned several accolades in the U.S., where it was recognised by Business Insider 2020 as ‘The gold standard for fried chicken’ as well as being included on Nation’s Restaurant News 2022 ‘Top 500 Restaurants’, Fast Casual magazine’s 2022 ‘Top 100 Movers & Shakers’, and Entrepreneur’s 2023 ‘Top 10 Hot Franchise Trends’ and ‘Top 12 Chicken Franchises to Buy’ lists.
Bonchon prides itself on the fact that its chicken is handmade-to-order and finished with its signature sauces made in South Korea. Each handcrafted piece of chicken is hand-brushed and double-fried, ensuring its product is the most delicious ‘crunch out loud’ fried chicken in the industry.
In addition to chicken wings, drumsticks, and boneless wings, Bonchon also offers a delicious selection of Asian fusion cuisine. The brands traditional sit-down restaurant sites provide a familiar casual dining experience and most restaurants also offer take-out and delivery services.
Bonchon said it’s offering the future UK franchisee partner the opportunity to become the master franchisee with an option to sub-franchise after two years of operations. Growth in the UK will be supported by the Korea-based team who will be advising on design, specification, marketing, branding, training, menu research and development, and operations.
Christie & Co adds that the future franchisee partner must be:
- An experienced, well-funded multi-site franchisee who can develop and operate an initial 15 equity stores in five years.
- Dedicated to operational excellence.
- Committed to customer service and product quality.
- Able to secure stores where sizes range from 1,500 to 2,500 sqft, with designs either fast casual or full dining models with a bar.
Simon Chaplin, senior director – pubs, restaurants & franchise at Christie & Co, commenting on this opportunity said: “We are excited to be working with Bonchon to bring their distinctive ‘crunch’ to the UK. Chicken-led QSR brands are performing well throughout the UK and we see Bonchon as a welcome addition to the landscape.
“Once again the power of an international partner with over 420 stores and dedicated experts to assist will help the franchisee develop a great business over the coming years.”
www.christie.com/news-resources/major-instructions/new-franchise-opportunity-bonchon
Posted: 27th September, 2023