A three-story building adorned in BHC's signature yellow has opened in the heart of Gangnam, marking the launch of the brand's first flagship store, the 'BHC Flagship Store Gangnam Station.' This comes as the chicken franchise, operated by Dining Brands Group, prepares to celebrate its 30th anniversary next year after three years of development.
On August 11, Dining Brands Group held a media event to discuss the background of the flagship store's opening and its future expansion strategy. This flagship store will serve as a key hub to transform existing chicken consumption patterns and gather customer feedback on new menu items and services.
The core concept of the flagship store is 'All-Day Chicken.' Traditionally enjoyed in the evening, BHC aims to expand chicken consumption to include lunch, afternoon snacks, and dinner gatherings, making it a complete meal option regardless of the time or number of diners. The company has been preparing for the flagship store's opening by considering meal-oriented chicken menus and dedicated spaces for about three years.
In line with this strategy, the store is divided by floor according to the time of day and purpose of visit. The first floor, 'Pick & Start,' focuses on quick orders and takeout, featuring an automated cooking robot, 'Frybot,' to enhance efficiency and provide an engaging experience. The second floor, 'Pick & Stay,' is designed for casual dining, optimized for nearby office workers seeking lunch, solo meals, or small gatherings. The third floor, 'Pick & More,' offers a space for gatherings and parties, where customers can enjoy chicken alongside K-food snacks like spicy rice cakes, fish cake soup, and seasoned whelk.
The menu also breaks away from the traditional 'whole chicken' ordering model. The signature menu item, 'Crispic,' allows customers to customize their order by choosing from various cuts, frying styles, sizes, seasonings, and sauces, resulting in over 3,000 possible combinations. Additionally, to cater to solo diners, options like rice boxes, salad boxes, crispy bun boxes, and Crispic burgers are available, along with platters for 2-3 people.
Yum Eun-mi, head of the R&D Center at Dining Brands Group, stated, "We developed our menu strategy to allow chicken to be enjoyed in various situations, such as lunch, afternoon snacks, and evening gatherings. We moved away from the traditional model of sharing a whole chicken to offering individual portions that reflect personal preferences."
Menu items that receive positive feedback at the Gangnam Station location will be considered for expansion to other stores, with burgers currently showing the most promise. BHC is already testing burgers at some company-owned locations, while decisions on other menu items will be based on sales performance, consumer response, and operational efficiency.
BHC plans to actively use the flagship store as a testing ground for global market entry and new formats. Since its opening on August 4, about 30% of visitors to the Gangnam Station store have been foreigners, with notable numbers of tourists from China and Japan. International buyers and stakeholders have also shown keen interest in this flagship store model. BHC intends to adapt the verified new menu items and operational models from the flagship store for its global business. The company also plans to expand its store formats into key commercial areas where traditional chicken specialty stores have struggled to enter, such as department stores and shopping malls.
Kim Hyo-sun, executive director of marketing at Dining Brands Group, remarked, "Chicken has already become deeply integrated into our lives, beyond just being a late-night snack or appetizer. As a leading chicken brand in South Korea, we feel a responsibility to discover new market demands and will continue to introduce various store formats tailored to customer needs, starting with the Gangnam Station location."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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