Bonchon Chicken

Bonchon (Korean: 본촌) is a Dallas-based international Korean fried chicken restaurant franchise. It is one of the largest Asian restaurant chains and a global leader in Korean fried chicken. According to the company, Bonchon is a Korean word meaning "My Hometown,” as founder Jinduk Seo was driven by a passion to share the joy of Korean comfort food around the world”. Bonchon is best known for its hand-battered, double-fried, crispy Korean fried chicken. - cite website, etc. ^[1]

Bonchon opened its first restaurant in 2002 in Busan,South Korea, and quickly expanded around the globe thanks to the appeal of its crunchy, hand-battered chicken and signature sauces. By 2006, the first United States location had opened its doors in Fort Lee, New Jersey, and a flagship location in the heart of New York City soon followed. ^[2]

Bonchon created an atmosphere that infused Korean tradition into a variety of dining experiences. From traditional full-service restaurants to food courts, Bonchon has brought its Korean-style comfort food to more than 470 unique locations worldwide since 2006.^[3]

The Korean fried chicken franchise currently operates in more than 25 states in the U.S. and 8 countries internationally.

Bonchon was founded by Jinduk Seo, and Suzie Tsai is currently serving as CEO.^[4]

In October of 2020, South Korean Native Jaehong (Jae) Park joined Bonchon as Executive Chef. Since then, Park moved into the International R&D Chef position, responsible for recipe innovation.^[5]

In January of 2021, Bonchon moved its global headquarters from New York City to Dallas, Texas. They believed the transition of its corporate office would result in a more centralized location to better serve franchise partners on both coasts. Along with the move to Dallas, Bonchon introduced a fast-casual restaurant model. They did this by incorporating a new interior design, a new service model, and a streamlined menu. This strategy emphasized Bonchon's need to continue to grow online ordering, which accounts for over 50% of its current revenue. ^[6]

In May of 2023, Thai artist Vachirawit Chivaaree was announced as the first brand ambassador of Bonchon. Later that August, Suzie Tsai joined Bonchon as Chief Growth Officer. Drawing from her Korean-American heritage, she brought a deep connection to the brand’s roots while driving its expansion. She was then appointed as CEO in October, where she has broken franchising records, launched numerous menu items, and blazed trails as a woman of color in a restaurant industry executive leadership position.^[7]

Bonchon serves Korean food favorites, and orders can be placed in restaurant, online at Bonchon.com, through the Bonchon app, or third-party delivery services. Menu highlights include:

• Korean Fried Chicken - Wings, Drumsticks, Strips, and a Chicken Sandwich with signature sauces of Soy Garlic, Spicy, Korean BBQ, and Yangnyeom.
• Korean Dishes - Bibimbap, Japchae, Tteokbokki, Bulgogi, and more.
• Side Dishes - Kimchi, Pickled Radish, Coleslaw, Korean Street Corn, and more.
• Korean Donuts - Traditional soft and fluffy Korean donuts coated with cinnamon and sugar on the outside, served with a sweet cream dipping sauce.

Asia[edit]

• South Korea: 1 sauce manufacturer
• Cambodia: 11 stores
• Myanmar: 1 stores
• Philippines: 170 stores
• Taiwan: 3 stores
• Thailand: 103 stores
• Vietnam: 26 stores

North America [edit]

• United States: 150 stores

Europe [edit]

• France: 2 stores

2021

• Entrepreneur – "Franchise 500”

2022

• Fast Casual Magazine's 2022 – "Top 100 Movers & Shakers"
• Nation's Restaurant News 2022 – "Top 500 Restaurants"
• Franchise Times  – “Top 400 Franchises”

2023

• Entrepreneur – "Franchise 500," "Top 10 Hot Franchise Trends," and "Top 12 Chicken Franchises to Buy"
• The Dallas Morning News – Voted #1 for “Best Chicken Wings" and "Best Korean Food"
• Franchise Times  – “Top 400 Franchises”
• Technomic  – Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report

2024

• Entrepreneur – "Franchise 500,” “Top Global Franchises”
• Fast Casual Magazine’s 2025 – “Top 100 Movers & Shakers”, CEO Suzie Tsai named “Top 25 Executives”
• Franchise Times  – “Top 400 Franchises”
• Technomic  – Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report

2025

• Entrepreneur – "Franchise 500,” “Top Food Franchises – Chicken”
• Fast Casual Magazine’s 2025 – “Top 100 Movers & Shakers”, CEO Suzie Tsai named “Top 25 Executives”
• Lunchbox – CEO Suzie Tsai named “Top 30 Women in Food”
• 2025 Asia CEO Summit & Awards Ceremony – Bonchon Philippines named Asia’s Top Influential Brand
• Technomic  – Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report

• https://www.bonchon.com/our-story
• https://franchising.bonchon.com/blog/history-korean-fried-chicken/#:~:text=Founder%20Jinduk%20Seo%20opened%20the,New%20York%20City%20soon%20followed.
• https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/07/01/3108574/0/en/Spice-Up-National-Fried-Chicken-Day-and-National-Chicken-Wing-Day-with-Bonchon-s-Special-Promotions-in-July.html
• https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bonchon-relocates-global-headquarters-to-dallas-texas-and-introduces-new-fast-casual-restaurant-model-301177374.html
• https://www.bonchon.com/news-page/bonchon-partners-with-korean-american-artist-to-create-limited-edition-shirts-in-celebration-of-aapi-heritage-month
• https://www.bonchon.com/news-page/bonchon-continues-momentum-announcing-strong-first-quarter#:~:text=The%20brand%20has%20earned%20several,in%20The%20Dallas%20Morning%20News.
• https://www.franchising.com/bonchon/awards.html

• Dave’s Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave%27s_Hot_Chicken

Wingstop Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wingstop

Quick facts Company type, Industry ...

Bonchon Chicken
본촌치킨
本村치킨

A Bonchon Chicken branch in Bangkok, Thailand
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Restaurants Franchising
Founded	2002; 24 years ago (2002) Busan, South Korea
Founder	Jinduk Seo
Headquarters	Dallas, Texas
Products	Korean fried chicken
Website	www.bonchon.com

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Bonchon Chicken (Korean: 본촌치킨; Hanja: 本村치킨) is a Dallas-based international Korean fried chicken restaurant franchise.^[8][9] It is one of the largest Asian restaurant chains by sales in the United States.^[10][11]

The Bonchon Chicken restaurant began in 2002 in Busan, South Korea. The first location in the U.S. was in Fort Lee, New Jersey.^[12] It later spread to California, New York, Connecticut, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Texas, Delaware and Washington state.^[13][14][15] The Korean fried chicken franchise currently operates in 21 states in the U.S. and 8 countries internationally.

Jinduk Seo is the founder of Bonchon Chicken and Bryan Shin is currently the CEO.^[16]

In 2021, Bonchon moved its global headquarters to Dallas, Texas.^[17]

In 2023, Thai artist Vachirawit Chivaaree was announced as the first brand ambassador of Bonchon.^[18]

• List of chicken restaurants
• List of Korean restaurants