In Korea, there is a joke that says "drumsticks are love." Some consumers count to see if their delivery chicken has enough drumsticks, while others think that if the other person gives up a drumstick, it shows rent(expense) affection and interest toward them. The saying arose because there are so many consumers who especially love drumsticks.
So much so that on Feb. 14, 2023, Valentine's Day, the Korea Broiler Council even created an event called "Drumsticks carry love." With the ad copy "A precious drumstick—would you give it if it were you?" it promoted the idea of conveying your feelings to a loved one with a drumstick.
But recently, in the fried chicken industry, there have been attempts to reduce the amount of drumstick meat in boneless menus. Consumers are reacting negatively. As voices saying "I won't order anymore" grew, a competitor even issued a statement saying it would make boneless menus with 100% drumstick meat. Why did this out-of-the-blue controversy arise?
According to the food and beverage (F&B) industry on the 23rd, on the 11th Kyochon Chicken said it would mix breast meat into its boneless menus, sparking controversy. While keeping prices unchanged but cutting the weight of boneless menus from 700g to 500g drew criticism as a "de facto sneaky price hike," people who often eat chicken focused more on the fact that breast meat would be mixed into the boneless menus.
The reason is taste, but also that in Korea chicken breast is generally cheaper than drumstick meat. According to the three major hypermarkets (Lotte Mart, Emart, and Homeplus), on average, chicken breast is about 30% cheaper than drumstick meat. If drumstick meat sells at about 2,600 won per 100g, the same weight of chicken breast costs about 1,740 won. Lowering the weight of boneless menus while also mixing in breast meat means suppliers can reduce costs. That is why consumers criticize Kyochon Chicken as "only raising prices" and "losing its original spirit."
Some chicken franchises have used a competitor's situation for marketing. That would be Norang Tongdak. On the 17th, Norang Tongdak issued a statement saying, "We have resumed using 100% drumstick meat for all boneless menu items at every store nationwide." It came about a week after Kyochon Chicken said it would reduce boneless menu weights and mix in breast meat.
In its statement, Norang Tongdak said, "Although it is expected to take time for imports of Brazilian chicken to normalize and prices to stabilize, we decided to again offer all boneless menu items with 100% drumstick meat, prioritizing consumer satisfaction."
The situation is similar for Goobne Chicken. As the problem of sourcing materials and supplies worsened, the company discussed whether to mix breast meat into boneless menus at a franchisee meeting in Jul. However, it ultimately decided to sell with 100% drumstick meat.
Such swift reactions are also because the domestic chicken market is saturated. As chicken franchises have continued to increase since the mid-2000s, the prevailing view now is that the market has entered a phase of "eating into one's own share." With competition heating up and the burden of rising costs piling on, profitability in the chicken industry is deteriorating. This is why franchise headquarters are working to prevent customer churn by strengthening brand marketing.
An F&B industry official said, "In the chicken market, it is important to secure loyal customers and keep them from turning away," adding, "Consumers who often order chicken are particularly sensitive to the crispy, chewy texture and rich juices of drumstick meat." The official continued, "If mixing in breast meat affects the taste, it ultimately means loyal customers will leave," adding, "It could be a kind of "reverse scale (yeokrin)," so the decision needs careful deliberation."
Attention in the fried chicken industry is turning back to Kyochon Chicken. Changing ingredients and weight may help profitability, but it is now being tested on whether it can continue to win consumers' choices.
KYOCHON F&B, which operates Kyochon Chicken, is focusing on improving profitability. According to the Financial Supervisory Service's electronic disclosures, KYOCHON F&B's operating margin rose from 0.92% in the first half of last year to 7.98% in the first half of this year. This is why, when looking at KYOCHON F&B's business performance going forward, attention should be paid to changes in sales scale alongside the trend of improving profitability.