Yoon Hong-geun, chairman of Genesis BBQ Group, stated, "Crises can be signals that demand new choices rather than obstacles that halt businesses."
According to Genesis BBQ Group, Yoon made these remarks during a lecture at the 43rd HDI CEO Summer Forum held at the Topsten Hotel in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, on August 20.
The forum, themed "The Next Frontier in the Age of Superintelligence: Finding Essential Competitiveness in an Era of Technological Overload," featured Yoon's lecture titled "Turning Crises into Opportunities: A Continuous Challenge Towards the World." The event was attended by over 130 CEOs from major domestic companies and institutions, including Kim Jong-gap, chairman of HDI.
In his lecture, Yoon framed the past 31 years of BBQ not merely as a history of achievements but as a history of choices made during moments of crisis.
He explained that despite various crises, including the 1997 IMF financial crisis, avian influenza, and rapidly changing dining trends, BBQ chose to innovate and pursue coexistence rather than remain complacent, which has been key to its competitiveness.
In 2005, BBQ introduced its Golden Olive Chicken, which incorporated olive oil into chicken preparation, and established a training and quality management system centered around its Chicken University, continuing its innovation across products and operations.
Yoon emphasized, "Building a large company is different from creating a sustainable one," highlighting the importance of not only external growth but also maintaining sustainable competitiveness.
BBQ has also accelerated its international expansion. Since entering the overseas market in 2003 with its first store in Shanghai, China, it now operates approximately 800 stores across 57 countries, including North America, Central and South America, Southeast Asia, and Central Asia.
This year, BBQ continues to expand its market presence, having opened its first store in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in May, and signed a master franchise agreement with a local company in Brunei, further broadening its reach in Southeast Asia.
Yoon remarked, "You cannot become a leader in a new market by merely following the paths others have already created," adding, "BBQ's 31 years have been a time of challenges, choosing new paths and creating them during crises."
He concluded by stating that in an era of rapid advancements in artificial intelligence and digital technology, it is crucial to clarify the value that must be provided to customers and the reason for a company's existence, continuously innovating based on that foundation.
Yoon asserted, "In the future, BBQ will not settle for the status quo but will continuously challenge itself towards the global market, growing as a global brand that promotes the competitiveness of K-food worldwide."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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