Bonchon, the popular Korean fried chicken concept, has announced the signing of a franchise agreement to open six new locations across Washington D.C. and Maryland. The brand signed the deal with JSM Development, LLC, which will develop locations in Bethesda, Wheaton and Silver Spring. The first location is expected to open by February 2023.
This falls in line with the global chicken brand’s ambitions to ramp up its growth initiatives in key cities across the U.S., mainly in the Midwest, Northeast, Western and Southern markets.
“Bonchon is already a favorite mealtime destination for residents in Maryland and Washington D.C., so we know that these restaurants will be a great success,” said Greg Buchanan, senior vice president of development at Bonchon.
“Building strong relationships with operators dedicated to bringing our special food and culture to more neighborhoods will continue to grow our footprint across the world.”
The global chicken brand is in a strong position and is attracting franchisees all over the country with its sound single-unit economics. Bonchon has outperformed other segments and cuisines when looking at two-year metrics (2021 vs. 2019) with positive 23 per cent same-store sales as of 25 December, 2021. Franchise growth is strong too, with a 25.4 per cent five-year franchise growth rate, creating an impressive momentum.
Bonchon was founded in 2005 in Busan, South Korea by Jinduk Seo. The brand eventually reached American shores in 2006, and today the fried chicken brand has 115 locations across the country and over 340 worldwide.
