Thailand pivoted very quickly to offsite kitchens, delivery/carryout only, and the fast casual.”īonchon, however, is not immune to the macroeconomic factors affecting the entire industry. “ … Now I think they’re all making a similar transition as we are in the U.S., which is to fast casual. “Thailand up until pre-pandemic was a very high-end, upscale-casual experience,” Dekker said. Similar moves are being made across the globe. READ MORE: A Casual Chain Embraces the Pandemic’s Service Shakeup The change made complete sense for the chain, which has seen digital sales grow from about 12 percent to 50 percent in the past couple of years thanks to implementation of a sophisticated online ordering platform and native delivery capabilities, a standardized POS system, and a partnership with DoorDash. In late 2020, Bonchon moved its headquarters from New York City to Dallas and announced plans for a fast-casual prototype with a streamlined menu, updated interior design, and new service model.
“We’re really open and we have a lot of white space in some markets that they just hadn’t previously developed before that has allowed us to flourish and to start growing at these much higher rates,” Dekker said.īonchon’s domestic presence began as a 2,500-3,000-square-foot casual-dining atmosphere that was “heavy on service.” But prior to COVID, the chain was looking for ways to improve value and ROI for franchisees in smaller, 1,800-2,000-square-foot locations. In recent years, Bonchon has found little barrier to entry, with each class of restaurants opening with higher sales than their predecessor-from Minnesota and the Pacific Northwest, to South Florida and Texas. While areas with a heavy Asian demographic are good to have, Dekker said it’s not mandatory like it once was. Arguably the best example of this is McDonald’s spending more than $10 million on a celebrity partnership with K-pop band BTS. “Obviously sales are better and better and better all the time.”īeforehand, Bonchon leadership believed its “secret sauce” was high-density Asian populations, but that simply isn’t the case anymore with America’s greater appreciation of Korean food and culture. “We’ve handled much better ,” Dekker said. He believes the majority of units will soon flip to the U.S., which is equipped with a pipeline that is just as large as the existing footprint. The CEO says the restaurant has “demand that we have been holding off on in the international markets,” like Europe, Central America, and South America, but the main focus going forward will be domestic. Currently, Bonchon’s footprint is 70 percent international. last year, and roughly 30 more are planned for 2022, with development agreements in Illinois, Colorado, Maryland, North Carolina, Florida, New York, Minnesota, Tennessee, and Texas.ĭekker said there’s potential for 3,000 units worldwide, and he expects that number to move up as the fast casual enters more countries. The brand opened 11 locations in the U.S. same-store sales increased 15 percent in 2021 year-over-year, and 23 percent on a two-year stack as of late December. Those numbers are only expected to get larger going forward. All of those domestic stores are franchised, except for four. in 2006, and has expanded to 115 locations. We’ve got a really unique take on what is a very American staple comfort food.”įounded in 2002 in South Korea, Bonchon has grown to 389 restaurants worldwide across eight countries. “ took their spin on, and dare I say, perfected it,” Dekker said at the recent ICR Conference.
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The same is true for Bonchon, which takes the classic fried chicken dish that every American knows, and infuses it with Korean flavor. The genre was built from the blues, but with more color and flair. When considering the growing appeal of Asian fast-casual Bonchon, CEO Flynn Dekker thinks about the rise of rock ’n roll.
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