K-Food Concepts Bring Seoul to Main Street
Did you know there are more Korean franchise restaurants in the U.S. than in China? According to The Korea Times, the U.S. had more than 1,100 Korean franchise outlets in December 2025, compared with 830 in China, which led overseas K-food markets as recently as five years ago. Americans can’t seem to get enough of Korean food, celebrated for its bold flavors and vibrant presentation rooted in centuries-old culinary traditions.
Popular K-food franchise brands including bb.q Chicken and Bonchon (pictured above) are bringing Korean staples into the U.S. mainstream. These include kimchi made of fermented vegetables such as napa cabbage or radish seasoned with spices; bibimbap, a mixed rice dish topped with vegetables, meat, fried egg and spicy gochujang paste; bulgogi, thinly sliced, marinated and grilled beef; and ssambap lettuce wraps filled with rice and flavorful meat.
As demand for K-food continues to grow, American entrepreneurs looking to invest in a hot new food concept would do well to check out the following franchise concepts. Enjoy! Or as they might say in Korean, jeulgida!
Top Korean Food Franchises
bb.q Chicken
Founded: Established in 1995 in Seoul, bb.q Chicken launched in the U.S. in 2014.
Fun Fact: In 2025, bb.q Chicken partnered with global food brand Samyang Foods to launch Buldak on Cheesling, a limited-time concoction featuring crispy, cheese-powder-dusted chicken, or Cheesling, with Samyang’s fiery Buldak sauce.
Menu Highlights: As the brand’s name suggests, bb.q (which stands for “best of the best quality”) Chicken specializes in authentic Korean fried chicken. Signature flavors include Golden Original; sweet and tangy secret sauce; hot spicy with fiery gochugang sauce; honey garlic; soy-based gang-jeong in a cinnamon-blend spice with chili garnish; sweet, savory and smoky galbi, a Korean classic; and Caribbean spice in Jamaican-inspired jerk sauce. Other K-food menu options include ddeok-bokki, a popular Korean street food made with rice cakes and fish cakes in a spicy sauce; kimchi-fried rice with chicken and vegetables in a classic kimchi base; and mala ddeok-bokki, one of the brand’s spicier rice cake variations.
Number of Locations: The K-food franchise has grown to 200-plus locations in the U.S and more than 3,500 restaurants worldwide across 57 countries.
Bonchon
Founded: Founded in 2002 in Busan, South Korea, Bonchon opened its first U.S. location in 2010 in New York City.
Fun Fact: Bonchon – which means “my hometown” in Korean, reflecting a commitment to authentic flavors and community – features a signature double-frying process that locks in juices and provides a crispy, golden finish.
Menu Highlights: Appetizers include bulgogi fries, with marinated beef piled on seasoned fries topped with mozzarella cheese, spicy mayo drizzle and scallions; as well as sotteok sotteok, a popular Korean street food comprised of sausage and rice cake skewered with salty, sweet and tangy yangnyeom sauce; and the MoPo corn dog filled with mozzarella cheese in a crispy breading with crispy potato cubes and a choice of signature sauce or sugar-cinnamon coating.
Main courses include japchae made with glass noodles, red bell pepper, carrots, onions, spinach, mushrooms and bulgogi stir-fried with soy garlic sauce and sesame oil and topped with sesame seeds. Chicken katsu, a breaded chicken cutlet, is served with steamed rice drizzled with katsu sauce and spicy mayo. Tteokbokki features rice cakes simmered in a hot pepper sauce with fish cakes, scallions, onions and mozzarella cheese served with vegetable potstickers.
Number of Locations: The K-food brand has expanded to almost 500 locations worldwide and more than 150 restaurants in the U.S.
Cupbop
Founded: Cupbop started in 2013 as a food truck in Salt Lake County, Utah. It later expanded into brick-and-mortar stores, with franchise locations opening in 2025.
Fun Fact: Cupbop appeared on the hit television series “Shark Tank” in 2022.
Menu Highlights: The brand is known for its concept of Korean barbecue in a cup or bowl, with steamed rice or noodles layered with Korean-style proteins and bold sauces. Popular options include Rock Bop Korean-fried chicken, B Bop bulgogi beef and Piggy Bop Korean-style pork.
Number of Locations: Cupbop has expanded to 70-plus locations across multiple U.S. states and operates in more than 200 locations in Indonesia and three in Dubai.
JAWS Topokki
Founded: JAWS Topokki began in 2007 as a small street food stall near Korea University in Seoul.
Fun Fact: JAWS has received several franchise industry awards and is recognized as a top brand in the category.
Menu Highlights: JAWS Topokki specializes in topokki, a popular food in Korea prepared with rice cakes and vegetables. Popular dishes include cheese topokki soup, rose topokki soup and jjajang topokki with black bean sauce. The restaurant also offers a wide selection of gimbap, which is rice seasoned with sesame oil and rolled in dried seaweed, filled with a variety of ingredients including bulgogi, tuna, spicy pork, pork cutlet, fried shrimp and low-carb keto options. Additionally, JAWS Topokki serves rice bowls in chicken mayo, bulgogi and spicy pork variations.
Number of Locations: As of 2024, JAWS Topokki had more than 300 stores in South Korea and continues to expand internationally, including franchise locations across the United States.
Kyochon Chicken
Founded: Kyochon was established in 1991 in South Korea.
Fun Fact: In 2025, the original Kyochon store in Gumi, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea, was preserved as a local landmark and incorporated into a themed street project called Gyochon 1991-ro, celebrating the brand’s history and contribution to the community.
Menu Highlights: Kyochon Chicken is known for its signature soy-garlic and red pepper–based sauces. Popular menu items include the soy garlic, red and honey series wings. The Korean food brand’s drumsticks and whole chicken options are prepared in its signature double-fried style.
Number of Locations: As of 2024, the K-food concept had 76 international locations in seven countries and 1,376 locations throughout South Korea.
