The Genesis BBQ Group, which operates the chicken franchise BBQ, announced on the 26th that it will enter Colombia to intensify its expansion into the South American market beyond North and Central America.
According to the Genesis BBQ Group, on the 24th, a master franchise (MF) contract was signed with the Colombian local corporation Bebeku Inc. at BBQ Group's headquarters. MF is a method of receiving brand royalties and commissions, selling technical support and brand usage rights through contracts with local corporations instead of the headquarters directly entering overseas markets. Attending the event were key officials from both sides, including Chairman Yoon Hong-geun of Genesis BBQ Group and CEO Micheal Park of Bebeku Inc.
Bebeku has built experience in the food and beverage (F&B) industry starting from New York. Currently, it operates a brand in the form of quick service restaurants (QSR) as a specialized corporation, and it is expected to lead BBQ's successful establishment based on its localization capabilities.
Colombia is the second most populous nation in South America. Bebeku officials plan to participate in the MF business program training held at the Chicken University in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, after signing the MF contract, and strengthen operational expertise and competitiveness through additional training in collaboration with partners. This appears to be aimed at early establishment in the local market and a foundation for long-term growth.
Currently, BBQ has expanded into 57 countries worldwide, including the United States, Canada, Panama, Costa Rica, and the Bahamas. Through this contract with the local Colombian corporation, it plans to embark on a full-scale entry into the South American market and re-verify the strength of global K chicken.
CEO Park stated, "At first, I simply thought it was a global brand with delicious chicken, but after directly confirming BBQ's unique franchise operation system and its infrastructure such as the Chicken University, I became convinced," and added, "I will work together to ensure BBQ can spread throughout Central and South America, using Colombia as a foothold."
Chairman Yoon noted, "Colombia is a strategic foothold connecting Central and South America and a key market that can accelerate the global expansion of K-food," and said, "We will further solidify BBQ as a beloved brand worldwide by spreading the taste and culture of K-food throughout South America."