POPULAR KOREAN FRIED CHICKEN CHAIN DEBUTS IN PH
Popular South Korean fried chicken chain ‘BB.Q’ has debuted in the Philippines as part of its global expansion plan and ambition to become the world’s largest fast-food chain.
A 138-seat restaurant was launched on Friday at the second floor of Central Square in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), Taguig, under the partnership between Korean company Genesis BBQ and the LCS Group of companies, founded by its president, Ilocos Governor Chavit Singson.
“BB.Q is currently present in 57 countries. Our goal is to open 50,000 franchises worldwide to exceed McDonald’s,” Genesis BB.Q chair Hong Geun-yoon said via a translated speech during the opening ceremony.
The Korean brand, which was first introduced in 1995, currently has over 3,500 branches worldwide, a thousand of which had been opened during its first four years of operation.
Yoon said they intended to make the Philippines the Southeast Asian hub of the BB.Q group, the country being one of the largest markets in the region.
More outlets opening
In an interview with the Inquirer, Singson said they were planning to put up more branches in the Philippines, with the next one coming in mid-2023.
“We need to prepare everything because we want this to be successful. So probably [it will happen] by the middle of [next year],” the LCS executive said, saying that its future employees were being trained at the BB.Q group’s cooking university.
Dubbed as the “Chicken University,” the more than 300-square meter facility is located in the South Korean city of Icheon, about 60 kilometers off Seoul.
Singson believes the brand has the potential to become very popular in the Philippines, citing the affinity of Filipinos to Korean culture. He himself is a fan of K-dramas.
“I watch all of them. I love watching all the Korean actresses,” he said.
BB.Q’s chicken dishes have been featured in several Korean dramas, including the series ‘Goblin’ in 2016 and the Netflix television series ‘Crash Landing on You.’