Korean fried chicken giant bb.q opens first shops in India with localized K-food offerings

Korean fried chicken franchise bb.q has opened its first two stores in India, with both serving halal-certified chicken and vegetarian dishes made for local tastes.

Genesis BBQ, the operator of the fried chicken franchise, said Thursday that it opened two stores simultaneously in Bengaluru, a major IT hub in southern India. The two branches are called the HSR Layout and Koramangala. 

The company plans to expand next to Hyderabad, Chennai and Vellore.

Both stores operate as quick-service restaurants aimed at young professionals and families, with the HSR Layout branch having 90 seats and the Koramangala branch 60, according to the company.

The menus are also tailored to the local taste. All the bb.q chicken sold in India is halal-certified under Malaysia's halal standard, and it also offers vegetarian dishes such as a veggie burger and golden cauliflower.

The shops also offer bb.q's signature flavors: soy garlic, honey garlic and hot-and-spicy chicken, alongside burgers and Korean dishes like tteokbokki (spicy rice cake) and kimchi fried rice. 

"India is one of the key global markets with strong growth potential," bb.q said. 

"We will highlight the appeal of K-chicken with menu items and operations that reflect local food culture and lifestyles, and speed up our global expansion."

BY CHO YONG-JUN [[email protected]]