Founded in South Korea before entering the U.S. market in 2006, Bonchon has spent more than 20 years introducing American consumers to Korean fried chicken while building a loyal customer base that continues to drive repeat business. Now, the brand is focused on franchise growth and is giving prospective franchisees an enticing opportunity to join a brand unlike any other in the space.
"Our philosophy is simple: our franchisees are our most important customers," said Chief Development Officer Blas Escarcega. "Their success defines our success. We don't simply provide a brand and an operating manual—we equip our franchisees with the strategic guidance, financial analysis, operational expertise and market intelligence they need to make informed decisions and build successful businesses from day one."
Long before Korean cuisine became part of mainstream American dining culture, Bonchon was introducing guests to a different kind of fried chicken. For franchisees, that means entering a system with an established reputation rather than having to educate consumers about the concept from scratch.
"For one, Bonchon is already an established U.S. brand," Escarcega said. “Long before competitors like bb.q Chicken established a formal presence or franchising model in the States, Bonchon was already the undisputed pioneer, introducing American diners to the legendary double-fried crunch. Bonchon is recognized as the original pioneer that put Korean fried chicken on the American map. We've been here longer. We know that we have fanatic fans already in the U.S. People love the brand."
At Bonchon, the chicken is double-fried to keep it juicy while getting the crust thin and crispy. They also hand-brush every piece with their sauces rather than tossing it, which keeps the crunchiness that the brand is known for.
"Bonchon shares Korean comfort food and crunchy fried chicken in a way that American chicken concepts can't match," Escarcega said. "We're sharing joy through Korean comfort food and a unique dining experience that resonates with today's consumers."
According to Escarcega, Bonchon’s initial franchise fee is $35,000, giving operators more flexibility to put capital toward construction, staffing and local marketing. For experienced operators evaluating several brands at once, Escarcega says, those lower initial franchise costs can improve capital efficiency across an entire development pipeline.
Similarly, Bonchon has intentionally designed incentives around developers who want to build territories instead of operating a single restaurant. Rather than waiting years to realize economic benefits, qualified multi-unit franchisees receive reduced royalty rates during the first year as they open multiple restaurants.
"We actively promote reduced royalty rates for multiple units for the first 12 months," Escarcega said. “That is included in the FDD. This happens when franchisees are opening three or more restaurants. We try to incentivize them in that way.”
The approach aligns Bonchon's interests with franchisees focused on long-term market development.
Bonchon points to several high-performing restaurants throughout its system, demonstrating the brand’s ability to produce strong sales performance across mature franchise restaurants while leveraging its differentiated menu and strong guest loyalty. According to the 2026 FDD, the Bonchon restaurant franchises that operated for the entirety of FY 2025 reported an average dine-in gross revenue of $1,595,312.
"We also boast some really excellent AUVs for top locations," Escarcega said. “We have some great top-producing franchisees that generate great revenue.”
Combined with disciplined site selection and an operations-focused model, these results help reinforce the brand's long-term growth potential.
Bonchon has spent the past year refining its newest restaurant prototype to improve unit economics while delivering the premium Korean dining experience guests expect. Designed with a target footprint of approximately 1,800 to 2,000 square feet, the prototype optimizes kitchen workflow, enhances labor efficiency and increases real estate flexibility while helping manage development costs. The result is a highly functional restaurant that supports dine-in, takeout, delivery and catering, providing franchisees with a flexible operating model designed for long-term growth and profitability without compromising the authentic Bonchon experience.
"Our new prototype wasn't designed simply to be smaller—it was designed to be smarter," Escarcega said. "Every element has been thoughtfully engineered to improve operational efficiency, enhance the guest experience and provide franchisees with greater flexibility in site selection. It gives us a scalable platform that supports sustainable growth while staying true to the authentic Bonchon experience our guests expect."
Today's restaurant developers increasingly seek concepts capable of fitting a variety of real estate opportunities. "We have very flexible real estate formats," Escarcega said. “We operate in nontraditional areas, inline locations and other formats. We provide greater site flexibility.”
That flexibility gives franchisees more options to find locations that work in their markets without making every restaurant fit the same prototype.
Consumer behavior has permanently shifted toward convenience. Bonchon has responded by investing in systems that support delivery, takeout, catering and third-party ordering alongside dine-in traffic.
"We also offer strong off-premise business," Escarcega said. “We've developed a significant third-party delivery system, catering and the ability to maximize dine-in sales.”
These channels provide franchisees with multiple ways to serve guests beyond traditional dine-in occasions.
Behind every successful restaurant system is an operational platform capable of producing consistent execution. “Bonchon continues investing in training, operational systems, restaurant design and franchise support, Escarcega says, updated training, improved restaurant design and ongoing franchisee support designed to create consistency across the network.”
While many popular fast casual concepts have become increasingly saturated, Bonchon still sees substantial opportunity across the United States.
"We've got strong brand recognition, but there is also still significant white space opportunity throughout the U.S. to establish multi-unit territories," Escarcega said. “We really don't have much saturation in the markets we're in.”
Many markets continue to offer opportunities for multi-unit development with limited Bonchon presence.
Bonchon's development strategy prioritizes population growth, favorable economics and long-term demographic trends instead of simply filling available real estate. Current expansion priorities include Southern California, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
"We have some great territories, especially throughout the Southeast," Escarcega said. “The economy, population growth and real estate availability all create strong opportunities.”
The brand also uses demographic and traffic analytics to support franchisees during site selection, helping identify locations positioned for sustained success.
Bonchon is looking to partner with experienced operators who want to develop multiple restaurants. The brand has built its support system around helping those franchisees grow over time.
As the chicken category continues evolving, Bonchon is focused on helping those experienced operators capitalize on significant white space opportunities while delivering the signature double-fried, hand-brushed experience that has defined the brand since its earliest days in the United States.
To learn more about Bonchon franchise opportunities and the investment required, please visit https://1851franchise.com/bonchon.
Bonchon
SPONSORED
As Korean food gains traction in the U.S., Bonchon stands apart from newer concepts with more than 20 years in the domestic market and a business model built around franchisee success.
Founded in South Korea before entering the U.S. market in 2006, Bonchon has spent more than 20 years introducing American consumers to Korean fried chicken while building a loyal customer base that continues to drive repeat business. Now, the brand is focused on franchise growth and is giving prospective franchisees an enticing opportunity to join a brand unlike any other in the space.
"Our philosophy is simple: our franchisees are our most important customers," said Chief Development Officer Blas Escarcega. "Their success defines our success. We don't simply provide a brand and an operating manual—we equip our franchisees with the strategic guidance, financial analysis, operational expertise and market intelligence they need to make informed decisions and build successful businesses from day one."
Long before Korean cuisine became part of mainstream American dining culture, Bonchon was introducing guests to a different kind of fried chicken. For franchisees, that means entering a system with an established reputation rather than having to educate consumers about the concept from scratch.
"For one, Bonchon is already an established U.S. brand," Escarcega said. “Long before competitors like bb.q Chicken established a formal presence or franchising model in the States, Bonchon was already the undisputed pioneer, introducing American diners to the legendary double-fried crunch. Bonchon is recognized as the original pioneer that put Korean fried chicken on the American map. We've been here longer. We know that we have fanatic fans already in the U.S. People love the brand."
At Bonchon, the chicken is double-fried to keep it juicy while getting the crust thin and crispy. They also hand-brush every piece with their sauces rather than tossing it, which keeps the crunchiness that the brand is known for.
"Bonchon shares Korean comfort food and crunchy fried chicken in a way that American chicken concepts can't match," Escarcega said. "We're sharing joy through Korean comfort food and a unique dining experience that resonates with today's consumers."
According to Escarcega, Bonchon’s initial franchise fee is $35,000, giving operators more flexibility to put capital toward construction, staffing and local marketing. For experienced operators evaluating several brands at once, Escarcega says, those lower initial franchise costs can improve capital efficiency across an entire development pipeline.
Similarly, Bonchon has intentionally designed incentives around developers who want to build territories instead of operating a single restaurant. Rather than waiting years to realize economic benefits, qualified multi-unit franchisees receive reduced royalty rates during the first year as they open multiple restaurants.
"We actively promote reduced royalty rates for multiple units for the first 12 months," Escarcega said. “That is included in the FDD. This happens when franchisees are opening three or more restaurants. We try to incentivize them in that way.”
The approach aligns Bonchon's interests with franchisees focused on long-term market development.
Bonchon points to several high-performing restaurants throughout its system, demonstrating the brand’s ability to produce strong sales performance across mature franchise restaurants while leveraging its differentiated menu and strong guest loyalty. According to the 2026 FDD, the Bonchon restaurant franchises that operated for the entirety of FY 2025 reported an average dine-in gross revenue of $1,595,312.
"We also boast some really excellent AUVs for top locations," Escarcega said. “We have some great top-producing franchisees that generate great revenue.”
Combined with disciplined site selection and an operations-focused model, these results help reinforce the brand's long-term growth potential.
Bonchon has spent the past year refining its newest restaurant prototype to improve unit economics while delivering the premium Korean dining experience guests expect. Designed with a target footprint of approximately 1,800 to 2,000 square feet, the prototype optimizes kitchen workflow, enhances labor efficiency and increases real estate flexibility while helping manage development costs. The result is a highly functional restaurant that supports dine-in, takeout, delivery and catering, providing franchisees with a flexible operating model designed for long-term growth and profitability without compromising the authentic Bonchon experience.
"Our new prototype wasn't designed simply to be smaller—it was designed to be smarter," Escarcega said. "Every element has been thoughtfully engineered to improve operational efficiency, enhance the guest experience and provide franchisees with greater flexibility in site selection. It gives us a scalable platform that supports sustainable growth while staying true to the authentic Bonchon experience our guests expect."
Today's restaurant developers increasingly seek concepts capable of fitting a variety of real estate opportunities. "We have very flexible real estate formats," Escarcega said. “We operate in nontraditional areas, inline locations and other formats. We provide greater site flexibility.”
That flexibility gives franchisees more options to find locations that work in their markets without making every restaurant fit the same prototype.
Consumer behavior has permanently shifted toward convenience. Bonchon has responded by investing in systems that support delivery, takeout, catering and third-party ordering alongside dine-in traffic.
"We also offer strong off-premise business," Escarcega said. “We've developed a significant third-party delivery system, catering and the ability to maximize dine-in sales.”
These channels provide franchisees with multiple ways to serve guests beyond traditional dine-in occasions.
Behind every successful restaurant system is an operational platform capable of producing consistent execution. “Bonchon continues investing in training, operational systems, restaurant design and franchise support, Escarcega says, updated training, improved restaurant design and ongoing franchisee support designed to create consistency across the network.”
While many popular fast casual concepts have become increasingly saturated, Bonchon still sees substantial opportunity across the United States.
"We've got strong brand recognition, but there is also still significant white space opportunity throughout the U.S. to establish multi-unit territories," Escarcega said. “We really don't have much saturation in the markets we're in.”
Many markets continue to offer opportunities for multi-unit development with limited Bonchon presence.
Bonchon's development strategy prioritizes population growth, favorable economics and long-term demographic trends instead of simply filling available real estate. Current expansion priorities include Southern California, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
"We have some great territories, especially throughout the Southeast," Escarcega said. “The economy, population growth and real estate availability all create strong opportunities.”
The brand also uses demographic and traffic analytics to support franchisees during site selection, helping identify locations positioned for sustained success.
Bonchon is looking to partner with experienced operators who want to develop multiple restaurants. The brand has built its support system around helping those franchisees grow over time.
As the chicken category continues evolving, Bonchon is focused on helping those experienced operators capitalize on significant white space opportunities while delivering the signature double-fried, hand-brushed experience that has defined the brand since its earliest days in the United States.
To learn more about Bonchon franchise opportunities and the investment required, please visit https://1851franchise.com/bonchon.
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