BBQ expands into Indonesia, eyes Southeast Asia growth

Yoon Hong-geun, Chairman of Genesis BBQ Group(right), and Ranita Angkosubroto, CEO of Jakarta Heritage Rasa harum. (Genesis BBQ)

South Korean fried chicken franchise BBQ is entering the Indonesian market as part of a broader strategy to expand across Southeast Asia and Oceania. The company announced on Monday that it signed a master franchise agreement with PT Jakarta Heritage Rasa Harum, a subsidiary of Indonesian food company Gunung Sewu Group.

With a population of about 270 million, Indonesia is the world’s fourth-most populous country and offers significant growth potential for the food and beverage industry given its youthful demographic.

BBQ noted that Indonesia also has a growing interest in K-food, contributing to this expansion’s potential success. For example, a group of 16 students and professors from the Culinary Business Program School of Tourism Universitas Ciputra Surabaya visited BBQ’s Chicken Camp and toured its Chicken University facilities in May 2024. Earlier in January, 38 students and professors from the International Business Management of Petra Christian University also visited the company’s operations.

BBQ plans to open locations in major cities such as Jakarta, Bandung, and Bali, with a long-term goal of becoming a prominent player in the region. The expansion into Indonesia follows BBQ’s successful ventures in the Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam, where it already operates around 100 stores. The company has tailored its approach to meet the demands of local markets, including a recent focus on delivery-centric operations in Vietnam, where motorcycle ownership is high.

BBQ’s efforts are part of a larger international push, as the company now operates in 57 countries, including the United States, Canada, and Taiwan. The company generated 300 billion won ($224.7 million) in consumer sales and 110 billion in business sales from overseas stores in 2023.