Casual dining franchise Kkanbu Chicken is making headlines day after day. After the "Kkanbu chimaek (chicken + beer) meetup" on the 30th with Jensen Huang, Nvidia chief executive officer (CEO); Lee Jae-yong, Samsung Electronics chairman; and Chung Eui-sun, Hyundai Motor Group chairman, the Kkanbu Chicken store in Samseong-dong, Seoul, has become a "pilgrimage" hotspot. On social media (SNS), hundreds of photos and videos tagged "Jensen Huang's chicken place" and "Samseong-dong Kkanbu" are being posted every day.
But the "Kkanbu Chicken craze," which spread like a meme (a cultural code that spreads through repeated sharing online), is just "pie in the sky" outside the greater Seoul area. Consumers outside the capital region lament, saying, "There's no Kkanbu Chicken in our neighborhood," and "You have to go to Seoul to taste the chicken the tycoons ate."
As of the 6th, according to Kkanbu Chicken's official website, only 10 of the 182 stores nationwide are outside the capital region of Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon. There are three in Wonju and Chuncheon, Gangwon; and six in Cheongju, North Chungcheong; Cheonan, South Chungcheong; and Daejeon. The Busan Centum City location in Korea's second city, Busan, is the only Kkanbu Chicken store in all of South Gyeongsang Province. Competitors BBQ and BHC each have more than 2,000 stores nationwide.
Kang Hwa-jung, 35, an office worker living in Gwangju, said, "There used to be a Kkanbu Chicken in the Sangmu district 8–9 years ago, but it's gone now," and added, "If I want to try the 'AI (artificial intelligence) Kkanbu set' the tycoons ate, I'll probably have to give it a shot when I travel to Seoul." The set is a new product Kkanbu Chicken recently launched by bundling the menu items Huang, Lee, and Chung ate. On SNS, reactions such as "I used to go to the Hakdong Station Kkanbu Chicken often, and this is the first time I learned there's no Kkanbu Chicken in Honam and Jeju," and "Quite a few people don't know Kkanbu Chicken; seems like it's because stores are concentrated in Seoul and Gyeonggi," are pouring in.
This stems from Kkanbu Chicken headquarters' policy. The company avoids nationwide franchise expansion and operates a mix of company-owned and selective franchise stores within the range where its logistics network and quality control are feasible. Kkanbu Chicken once had as many as 300 locations, and provincial stores then relied on 3PL (third-party logistics) and 4PL (fourth-party logistics) for deliveries. But judging that it was difficult to maintain headquarters-level quality, the system was reorganized to focus on the capital region.
Currently, the company operates a capital-area-centric logistics network, with headquarters logistics drivers handling deliveries and first-in, first-out management. A Kkanbu Chicken official said, "If you increase openings without being prepared, both the franchisees and headquarters will fail. Our principle is to operate stores only within the bounds where we can maintain stable logistics and quality systems." The official added, "As we readjust the logistics and quality systems, we can consider expanding regional franchise operations when we are ready."
In fact, on the 4th, Kkanbu Chicken said in a notice on its website, "Many people say we should 'row when the tide comes in,' but our idea of rowing is staying true to the essentials, not overexpansion," and, "Now is not the time to speed up, but to solidify quality, hygiene, and service." The chimaek meetup of the three heavyweights triggered a flood of franchise inquiries, but the company said it would temporarily halt consultations for new franchises and focus on stabilizing the existing logistics network.
This Seoul and capital region-centric trend is not limited to Kkanbu Chicken. New brands that became "hot places" in a few commercial districts such as Gangnam, Cheongdam, Seongsu, Yeonnam, Euljiro, and Hongdae in Seoul are going nationwide after gaining popularity on SNS for their stylish interiors, limited-edition menus, and photo-friendly spaces. Brands with stores concentrated in the capital region include Knotted, Cafe Onion, and Blue Bottle Coffee.
An official in the dining industry said, "In an era of high inflation, with the domestic market sluggish and labor shortages piling on, it's impossible for new brands to expand to the provinces all at once," adding, "Consumer accessibility cannot be free from the capital region tilt." Lee Eun-hee, a professor of consumer science at Inha University, said, "There are big differences in spending power across regions. Consumers living in the provinces may see trends with their eyes but find it hard to experience them," and added, "For dining trends to break out of the capital-centric pattern, the regional economic base needs to be strengthened."