There is no denying how successful BonChon has been in the Philippines so far. They have only been in the Philippines for a little over two years, but in that short span of time, they have already grown to 20 branches, each one almost always with an attention-grabbing long line of customers craving for their best-selling chicken wings.
These long lines are very understandable. After all, BonChon’s chicken wings are several notches up your usual wings and are probably even in a class of their own; the meat is juicy while the skin is unbelievably thin, crispy and tasty.
BonChon originated in Korea, but it was when it opened in the States that it became big. It didn’t take long before it gained a cult following because of the unique and tasty chicken wings that became a favorite bar chow among yuppies.
One fan who instantly fell in love with BonChon is Filipino entrepreneur Scott Tan. He discovered BonChon in New York and his first visit definitely wasn’t the last. He quickly got addicted, and soon realized that they were so good he just had to introduce the brand to the Filipinos back home.
And so Scott e-mailed the owner, Mr. Suh, and inquired about getting a franchise. But since a lot of people were interested as well, Scott just received a not-so-encouraging reply from Mr. Suh. Bent on really getting a franchise, Scott flew all the way to Korea so he can try and personally convince Mr. Suh, which, of course, worked. “I literally knocked on his doorstep,” Scott shares. “That’s how he awarded me the master country franchise.”
In November 2010, Scott opened the first BonChon store in the country. It was at the Ayala Triangle Gardens, and before he knew it, he was opening more and more branches. In fact, there is even a branch outside Metro Manila, in Davao.
With all the expansion happening at such fast pace, it is pretty safe to say that Scott has a success story with BonChon. What’s interesting is that Scott doesn’t really have a background in the food industry; he was a banker in the US and he also worked for the family’s garment business so this success in the food industry may be a surprise to some people—even Scott himself.
Asked for the factors that he thinks contributed to the impressive growth of BonChon in the country, Scott reveals that apart from being lucky that they got good locations for their first few branches, he also has a very good marketing to thank, plus word-of-mouth from satisfied customers, especially through social media.
And then there is the food itself, of course—the scrumptious chicken wings, to be specific. They are fried twice (the first fry cooks the chicken meat, while the second fry melts the fat off), resulting to the unbelievably crispy chicken skin that BonChon is famous for. Additionally, Scott says that when he first tasted BonChon chicken abroad, he noticed that the taste is similar to some of our dishes. “I knew it was something that would click in the Philippines. The flavor is not too far off. It’s sweet and kind of salty. Nothing that people would be afraid to eat because it’s too exotic.” So at the end of the day, it’s as simple as good-tasting food that’s speaking for itself.
But don’t think that BonChon is all about just chicken wings. They also have other chicken parts and even a chicken burger, plus a wide range of dishes using beef (Bulgogi Rice and Bulgogi Wrap), fish (Fish & Chips), and squid (Crispy Squid). Also offered are a local version of chapchae, fish tacos (which has a Korean twist because they use kimchi coleslaw), and desserts like the Korean yogurt.
Peg
Scott actually isn’t just a foodie; he likes to cook and experiment in the kitchen as well. In fact, some of the dishes offered in the local BonChon branches were either concocted or tweaked by Scott himself. For example, he was the one who thought of including chapchae in the menu, making sure that it would suit the local palate by making it a little sweeter. He also developed the Crispy Squid dish for the Lenten season, which proved to be such a hit that it became not just a part of the regular menu, it was also rolled out in other countries as well.
It seems like BonChon is all about innovation. “We always want to introduce new items,” says Scott. “Besides good chicken, we want to have other products that are addicting as well, so that people won’t get sawa and so that they’ll keep coming back.”
And judging on how branches keep on growing and how long the lines remain, it looks like Filipino foodies aren’t getting sawa of BonChon, especially its highly addicting chicken wings, thanks to a man named Scott Tan.
