The BonChon Chicken Invasion

Super Junior, 2NE1, Girls’ Generation, EXO, “Gangnam Style.” Any K-pop fan and anyone who has been living in the Philippines for the past decade or so will definitely be familiar with these K-pop buzzwords. And with Korean pop culture pervading in the archipelago, Korean cuisine has also penetrated the country, with Korean barbecue restaurants serving bulgogi and samgyeopsal popping up left and right. Yet the most novel K-dining concept to hit the Philippines in recent years is unarguably Korean-American chain BonChon Chicken.

LOVE AT FIRST BITE

Managing Director Scott Tan fell in love with BonChon’s delicious crispy chicken while he was still a college student in the United States. “It was one of my favorites, my go-to. So when I came home and I wanted to transition from the former industry I was working in to another, food was a natural fit. Food has always been my passion growing up, from living away from home in college and teaching myself to cook, then later on expanding my food horizons via travel. It just made sense that this would be a venture I would love doing.”

Upon returning to Manila, he was excited to share his BonChon experience in New York with fellow Filipinos back home. Armed with sheer determination, Tan was awarded the Master Country Franchise among many applicants for his effort and enthusiasm for the brand. In November 2010, the first BonChon store in the Philippines was formally launched.

“After we started BonChon, I felt a really dynamic shift in the local food industry, with so many new and exciting concepts coming out. I would like to think that BonChon was instrumental in helping that movement. Four years later, the food scene has evolved, our palates have grown more sophisticated, and our standards have been pushed up exponentially. That’s something to be proud of because it’s elevated our food scene,” he comments.

HERE FOR THE LONG HAUL

People first assumed that BonChon would be just like Psy’s Gangnam Style—a one-hit wonder that’s popular one minute, forgotten the next. But its detractors were proven wrong, as the brand quickly grew in just over three years. Now, BonChon boasts over 80 branches all over the archipelago, conquering Metro Manila, Baguio, Pampanga, Bulacan, Laguna, Cavite, Batangas, Cebu, Davao, and GenSan. K-pop has become a world-wide pop phenomenon, spanning continents and leading to the rise of Korean brands internationally.

Tan admits that the popularity of K-pop is part of BonChon’s success, both here and abroad. BonChon also has branches in Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea, and the US.Another factor that has contributed to BonChon’s success is the public’s enthusiastic response, or word-of-mouth. As Tan puts it, “There is no higher or better or more real compliment than word-of-mouth buzz.”

THE CHICKEN-NOVATOR

The longevity of BonChon can be attributed to its faithfulness to brand identity, which Scott Tan describes as youthful, fresh, dynamic, innovative, and informative. “BonChon is the original Korean-American Fried Chicken Secret: super crispy yet light and not greasy, with hot, moist, juicy meat, sauced with the addicting soy garlic and spicy flavors. In everything that we do, our priority is innovation. We like to think of ourselves as the ‘chicken-novator.’”

STRATEGY FOR SUCCESS

Because the brand’s target market is mostly yuppies and millennials, BonChon has decided to harness social media to build brand awareness and maintain its momentum. “From the heartwarming and enthusiastic response we’ve been getting online, we’re glad to see that we are compellingly capturing older teens and young working adults (Gen Y) and hopefully becoming their new favorite chicken [brand],” shares Tan.

Since millenials are notorious for always looking for the next or latest food trend, Tan and his team at BonChon Philippines constantly strive to entice them with something new. “For the tech-savvy Filipino millennials, discovering new things or experiencing something new is very important to them – and capturing that moment in an awesome photo is just as important.” Food presentation is a point of consideration as well, since selfies and food shots uploaded on Facebook and Instagram have become a habit among social media-savvy teens and young adults.

BonChon’s menu has been continuously evolving since it opened its doors locally, with new items added practically on a monthly basis. Tan elaborates, “We were the first in the international BonChon community to offer a wide variety of seafood (shrimp, fish, squid), and we have innovated on dessert. Ko-Yo is a spin on the Korean soft serve yogurt, and Crispy Crepes, which is a BonChon original. [But] at heart, our menu is Korean-American, so we have a lot of authentic Korean dishes such as Chapchae, Bulgogi Noodle Soup, and Seoul Fried Rice. We also offer dishwwes inspired by global trends, like our Fish Taco, which is from the food truck phenomenon in California.”

Value is another key point in their menu offerings. “Our philosophy about value is about making it convenient for our customers to have an awesome experience,” he adds. Their boxed meals and add-ons are suggested pairings of specific items to further enhance the BonChon experience. “Whether you’re a solo diner dining in (add-ons to boxed meals), a group hanging out (group meal), or someone buying takeaway for a big group at home (chicken boxes, included the big box), we make sure there is value for everyone.”

As BonChon employs the most stringent standards for its ingredients, it comes as no surprise that the brand has partnered up with San Miguel PureFoods - Great Food Solutions, Inc. (GFS) for their crucial ingredients. “At BonChon, we place such high premium on quality. GFS has helped us by providing strong support in supplying quality ingredients, enabling us to [stay] true to that promise to our customers,” shares Tan.

PLEASING THE YUPPIE AND MILLENNIAL PALATE

Indeed, this “chicken-novator” has impressively kept the interest of the easily-bored yuppie and millennial. After all, which other QSR or fast-food joint serves Belgian beer such as Stella Artois and Hoegaarden, provides free Wi-Fi, and deploys digital menus?

Just recently, BonChon launched its first-ever Philippine TVC—the “BonChon Dance Crave”—which has K-pop elements such as a dancy jingle by Hollywood-based Korean-American choreographer Mike Song. “The new [music video] campaign is all about sharing that sense of discovery, to introduce the very distinct BonChon product and experience to broader, more mainstream base,” explains Tan.

He adds, “Airing has been very targeted and selective—on cable TV, youth-oriented local shows such as UAAP and Myx, online, in stores, and special events. And we’ve been getting so much feedback about how everyone is LSS-ing on the jingle, how people have been having fun doing the dance steps themselves.”

CULTIVATING A CULT FOLLOWING

Tan likens the popularity of BonChon to a “cult following,” and nurturing this group is no easy feat. He remains optimistic about BonChon’s future. “[We’re] currently at over 80 stores, and we’re focused on expanding in key cities such as CDO and Boracay. And of course, expect more innovations.”

Scott Tan is confident that five years from now, BonChon will still be “number one in innovation, pushing standards, and exceeding expectations, not just for ourselves but also for the food scene in general... We stay true to [our] values of providing a quality experience from food, service, to interiors, with global flair and frequent innovations.”

One can only guess and anticipate what exciting development this cult brand will come up with next.