Franchising

Jin Duk Seh, owner of Bon Chon Inc., started Bon Chon Chicken in 2002 when he opened a chicken restaurant of his own, relates Richard Uy, executive vice president of Scottland Inc., the owners of the Philippine franchise.

Bon Chon chicken became very popular because of its healthy, crispy, juicy and not-so-greasy fried chicken with soy garlic or spicy soy garlic flavors. After years of operating in Korea, Seh decided in 2006 to take his concept to the United States, where it became an instant hit.

“Being a chicken-loving people, we wanted to bring a new twist or flavor to our chicken and for the longest time, most chicken places here are heavily battered, mixed with spices, and then deep fried,” says Uy. “We want to let Filipinos try something new, something fresh and unique.” Uy said the company’s research and development team discovered Bon Chon in the United States. The unique taste, the ambiance and citations by an international men’s magazine as “the perfect and best chicken” convinced Scottland Inc. that Bon Chon Chicken would be a big hit back home.

“A good and astonishing taste, a modern interior look or vibe, the Filipinos’ love for chicken as well as being an international brand since it has branches in the United States, Korea and Thailand—all these factors contribute to making Bon Chon Chicken a good franchise brand,” he says.

The first Bon Chon Chicken branch in the Philippines opened on November 16, 2010 at the Ayala Triangle Gardens. Other branches soon followed in Greenbelt 1, Makati City and Libis, Quezon City.

“It’s the company’s first time in the restaurant business so we practically had to feel our way through every aspect of it,” says Uy. “It helped that Mr. Jin came over personally to oversee the first few weeks of operations. We also maintain open communication with him so that all questions resolved immediately.”

This article was published in the April 2011 issue of Entrepreneur Philippines.

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