BHC opens first Taiwan store on 10th anniversary of hallmark Bburinkle flavor

BHC Chicken has opened its first branch in Taiwan, marking a key milestone in its Asian expansion. The Taipei location features popular dishes and is part of plans for additional outlets in the region.

National table tennis player Shin Yu-bin is the brand ambassador of BHC Chicken's Bburinkle [DINING BRANDS GROUP]

BHC Chicken has opened its first branch in Taiwan — the first of many, and a cornerstone of the Korean chain's Asian expansion plans, the restaurant chain said Monday.

The 133 square-meter (436-square-foot) location is housed in Taipei Dome, a baseball stadium in the capital city, and accommodates 30 diners in addition to takeout orders.

The restaurant, in collaboration with Taiwanese operator G-Yen Hutong, will serve the company's signature Bburinkle, Matcho-King and Gold-king chicken flavors as well as popular Korean dishes like tteokbokki, or spicy rice cakes, and silken tofu.

More branches are planned for Taipei, as well as Taichung and Kaohsiung City, in the future, according to Dining Brands Group, BHC Chicken's parent company.

Asia isn't the only region BHC is eyeing; the brand also expanded to Canada this year, opening a new Toronto branch in October. It currently has 26 stores across seven countries outside Korea.

BHC Chicken opened its first branch in Taiwan at the Taipei Dome. [DINING BRANDS GROUP]

Many factors have contributed to the explosive overseas success of the brand, but arguably none more so than its Bburinkle flavor — marked by a mix of cheese, onion and garlic — which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. BHC has marked the occasion with discount events and advertisement campaigns featuring 20-year-old table tennis player Shin Yu-bin.

Ironically, that flavor almost wasn't released.

The development was inspired by the idea of combining cheese, then popular among young Koreans, with chicken, and spent seven months creating the seasoning that combined blue cheese, cheddar cheese, onion and garlic. “The internal tasting session we had with the employees ahead of the launch showed mixed results,” BHC staff involved in the development of Bburinkle told the reporters in October at an event celebrating the flavor’s 10-year anniversary.

“Younger staff members were confident in the success, but people in their 30s and 40s, who were used to seasoned chicken flavors based on starch syrup, thought the product wouldn’t be successful.”

The younger tasters proved correct: The new flavor became a hit across generations, achieving 6.6 million sales in a year. The company had sold a total of 100 million Bburinkle products by 2023. The lineup now includes 20 different variations, such as side dishes like Bburinkle fried potato chips and cheese balls.

“Taiwan acts as a very crucial location in our Asian expansion,” Dining Brands Group CEO Song Ho-seob said in a press release. “We hope to settle into the new market faster by adapting to the local customers.”

BY CHO YONG-JUN [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr]