Chicken for lunch — paired with rice, salad or a burger. Chicken again in the evening, this time alongside broth-based tteokbokki and fish cake stew. The image of fried chicken as a late-night snack or weekend treat is being quietly rewritten, with one brand now pitching it as an all-day staple.
BHC, the chicken brand under Dining Brands Group, held a media preview Tuesday to mark the opening of its first-ever flagship store, a three-story location a three-minute walk from Gangnam Station. The store opened officially on Aug. 4, after roughly three years of preparation, with each floor designed around a distinct dining experience.
The store's overarching concept is "all-day" — chicken at any hour. "People usually think of chicken as something you order late at night after work, or when the family gathers on weekends," said Yeom Eun-mi, head of the R&D center at Dining Brands Group. "At the flagship, you can enjoy it as a meal at lunch, a snack in the afternoon, or bar food in the evening."
BHC developed new menus to match the concept. The "Box" is a single-serving meal set built around a base of rice, salad or a burger, with the customer's choice of chicken on top — or tucked inside a burger bun. The format is aimed squarely at office workers in the Gangnam area and solo diners.
The store also debuted "Crispick," a fully customizable chicken menu. Customers choose the cut, flavor, frying style, size, sauce and seasoning from a kiosk, unlocking more than 3,000 possible combinations. A customer could order three drumsticks in the brand's signature "Ppuringcle" style, or boneless pieces in an extra-crispy "Kwasak" fry. The preparation method has also been streamlined: instead of tossing fried chicken in seasoning, staff now dust it on top and drizzle the sauce, cutting a step from the process.
The third floor is designed for larger groups and foreign tourists seeking a K-chicken experience. A "Platter" menu for two to three diners pairs chicken with sides such as cheese balls and seasoned potatoes. Korean bar-food staples — broth tteokbokki, spicy fish cake stew and kimchi fried rice — are available alongside draft beer and other drinks. Since the store opened Aug. 4, foreign visitors have accounted for about 30 percent of customers, with Chinese and Japanese tourists making up the largest share, according to bhc.
The store also features "Twibot," bhc's proprietary automated frying robot, letting customers watch their chicken being cooked in real time. Multiple kiosks allow diners to configure Crispick and Box orders themselves, and a separate takeout system lets customers who are not eating in place orders and pick them up quickly.
BHC is already scouting locations for a second flagship. The company is looking at prime commercial districts similar to Gangnam, as well as department stores and mixed-use shopping malls that draw heavy weekend foot traffic. Overseas expansion of the flagship format is also under consideration.
The Gangnam Station store will also serve as a test bed for new menu items before any wider rollout. Sales data and customer feedback gathered there will inform decisions on whether to introduce new dishes at regular franchise locations. The burger — already being trialed at some company-owned stores — is considered the most likely candidate for a broader franchise launch.
With the brand's 30th anniversary arriving next year, bhc intends to treat the Gangnam Station store as a new starting point. "A flagship store is a space where customers can fully experience everything a brand has to offer," said Kim Hyo-seon, executive director of marketing at Dining Brands Group. "Think of it as one of bhc's core strategies going forward."
BHC traces its roots to 1997, when it opened the first location of "Star Chicken." In 2000, the brand adopted the name bhc — derived from the English initials of its Korean predecessor — and established the identity it carries today. It now operates about 2,200 franchise locations and 10 company-owned stores nationwide. Last year, the company posted sales of 614.7 billion won ($434 million) and operating profit of 164.5 billion won on a standalone basis, becoming the first chicken franchise to surpass the 600 billion won mark in annual sales.
korean@heraldcorp.com
