Number of chicken franchise shops surpassed 30,000 in 2024: Data Ministry

The number of chicken franchise outlets in Korea surpassed 30,000 for the first time in 2024, though sales growth continued to lag behind other food franchise sectors such as pizza, according to data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics on Sunday

The photo shows a signature fried chicken menu item from a franchise restaurant in Seoul on Dec. 28. [YONHAP]

The number of chicken franchise outlets in Korea surpassed 30,000 for the first time in 2024, though sales growth continued to lag behind other food franchise sectors such as pizza, according to data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics on Sunday.

There were 31,397 chicken franchise stores in 2024, up 5.3 percent, or 1,592 stores from the number in 2023, according to the "2024 Franchise Statistics."

The number has steadily grown since surpassing 25,000 in 2018 with 25,110 stores, though the rate of increase slowed from 4.8 percent in 2021 to 1.6 percent in 2023 before rebounding above 5 percent in 2024.

BBQ recorded the highest number of stores among brands with 2,316 locations, followed by BHC with 2,228, Kyochon with 1,361, Cheogajip with 1,254 and Goobne Chicken with 1,154, according to data from the Fair Trade Commission. The number of chicken franchise brands, however, dropped to 647 in 2024, 22 fewer than the previous year.

Sales for the chicken franchise sector totaled 8.78 trillion won ($6 billion) last year, marking a 7.3 percent increase from 2023. However, that growth fell short of other sectors, such as coffee and nonalcoholic beverages at 12.8 percent, Korean cuisine at 10 percent and pizza and hamburgers at 9.2 percent.

Sales per chicken franchise outlet rose just 1.9 percent to 279.6 million won. Chicken franchise stores employed 65,373 people in 2024, a 2.4 percent decline from the previous year. The average number of employees per store declined by 0.1 to 2.1.

That figure ranked as the lowest among food franchise categories, including Korean cuisine and pizza. Analysts attributed the low staffing levels to the large number of small, family-run shops, often operated by couples.

While the number of chicken franchise stores is increasing, the total number of all chicken restaurants, including nonfranchise businesses, has declined for three consecutive years.

The total number of chicken restaurants fell to 39,789 in 2023, down 4.1 percent, or 1,647 locations, from the previous year. The figure has declined by 2,954 compared to 2020.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY AHN HYO-SEONG [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]