Lessons from Expanding a Global Brand into the U.S.
By Andrew Lee, Senior Manager of Marketing, BB.Q Chicken USA
Introduction: The Challenge of Bringing a Global Brand Stateside
Expanding a successful restaurant brand from one market to another isn’t just about replicating a business model—it’s about understanding how consumer behavior, operational systems, and cultural expectations differ. For BB.Q Chicken, the largest Korean fried chicken brand, the challenge wasn’t just about entering the U.S. market but about integrating into the American consumer’s daily habits while preserving the authenticity that made the brand successful in South Korea.
Having operated over 2,000 locations in Korea, we knew what it took to become a staple in people’s everyday lives. But the question was: Could we replicate that same level of brand integration in the United States? Here’s what we learned along the way.
Riding the Wave of Korean Culture—And Preparing for What’s Next
The rising global influence of Korean culture—through music, television, and food—has undoubtedly helped bring Korean fried chicken into the mainstream in the U.S. Over the past five years, we’ve seen an explosion of interest in Korean cuisine, and many brands, including ours, have benefited from this shift.
However, relying solely on cultural momentum is not a sustainable business strategy. Trends come and go, and what’s popular today may not be tomorrow. The key to long-term success is ensuring that our core product and experience resonate beyond a cultural moment. In South Korea, we aren’t branded as a "Korean fried chicken" chain—we’re simply a fried chicken chain. That approach allowed us to become a household name, and the same principle applies in the U.S.
For American consumers, fried chicken isn’t just a trend; it’s a staple comfort food. Rather than positioning our product as a foreign or exotic experience, we focused on what made it familiar—crispy fried chicken—but added a subtle twist of Korean flavors. The goal is not to push customers outside their comfort zones but to introduce them to something new in a way that feels approachable.
This philosophy has been critical in making BB.Q Chicken more than just a novelty. Instead of being a once-in-a-while dining experience, we aim to become part of people’s daily eating routines—just as we have in Korea.
Brand Loyalty in America: Becoming a Household Name
One of the most eye-opening insights from entering the U.S. market is how deeply loyal American consumers are to their favorite brands. Unlike in Korea, where loyalty often comes from product quality and consistency, U.S. consumers form emotional attachments to brands, often treating them as part of their identity.
This phenomenon is evident in how certain brands become synonymous with their product category—like how people refer to tissues as "Kleenex" or copy machines as "Xerox." As an international brand, we realized that earning this kind of brand affinity requires more than just good food.
To establish ourselves as a trusted name, we emphasized:
● Product integrity: We made sure our ingredients, preparation methods, and quality standards were consistent across all locations, just as we had done in Korea.
● Unique in-store experience: Walking into one of our locations should feel like stepping into a piece of Seoul, creating an experience that differentiates us from other fried chicken brands.
● Localized marketing: We adapted our communication to American preferences, ensuring our branding resonated with U.S. consumers while maintaining authenticity.
By reinforcing these elements, we aren’t just another fast-growing chain—we’re building a brand that customers trust and return to.
Technology as a Bridge: Simplicity is Key
Another critical takeaway from our expansion was how technology can make or break a franchise’s ability to scale smoothly. In Korea, restaurant technology tends to be customized and built in-house, designed with intricate features and controls. In the U.S., scalability and ease of use take precedence.
As Koreans, the contrast in user experience between the two markets was immediately clear—not just in restaurants but across everyday digital interactions. In Korea, consumers are accustomed to technology with deep layers of functionality. Whether it’s mobile banking, social media, or online shopping, having more features is often perceived as a competitive advantage.
In the U.S., simplicity is king. American consumers value frictionless experiences—whether it’s checking out on Amazon, navigating an iPhone interface, or interacting with social media platforms. The entire digital ecosystem is built around speed and ease of use rather than overwhelming users with too many choices.
Given this, it seemed obvious to us that the same expectations should apply to restaurant technology, particularly online ordering and loyalty platforms. When choosing a platform for our U.S. operations, we were surprised to see that many enterprise-level solutions were actually very feature-rich—similar to what we had built in-house in Korea. These platforms provided many feature options and granular data controls, but they didn’t prioritize ease of use.
This felt counterintuitive from an outsider’s perspective, given how American consumers interact with technology in every other part of their daily lives.
We took this lesson to heart when structuring our own customer journey. Instead of overwhelming users with excessive steps or complex reward structures, we focused on reducing friction at every touchpoint. This is why we embraced a phone number-based loyalty program instead of requiring lengthy sign-ups.
For any brand expanding into a new market, these cultural biases in user experience design are critical to recognize. Had we approached the U.S. market with the same technology mindset we used in Korea, we likely would have made things unnecessarily complicated. Instead, we adapted—prioritizing efficiency over complexity—which has been a key factor in our ability to scale rapidly in the U.S.
Final Thoughts: Lessons Learned as an "Outsider"
Scaling a global QSR brand in the U.S. isn’t just about translating a successful business model; it’s about deeply understanding the local consumer and adapting accordingly. Some of our biggest takeaways include:
1. Cultural momentum is an advantage, but product integrity is the foundation. Trends will shift, but a strong product will always have staying power.
2. Brand loyalty is emotional. U.S. consumers attach themselves to brands in a way that requires more than just a great product—it requires a relatable experience and strong customer engagement.
3. Technology should simplify, not complicate. The best digital experiences are frictionless and intuitive, making every interaction as seamless as possible.
For any international brand looking to scale in the U.S., success isn’t just about expansion—it’s about adapting to consumer habits, staying flexible, and being willing to learn from the market.
That’s what we continue to do every day.
About the Author
Andrew Lee is the Senior Manager of Marketing at BB.Q Chicken USA, overseeing brand strategy, franchise growth, and consumer engagement. With experience spanning both Korean and American markets, he specializes in bridging cultural and operational gaps to drive sustainable expansion. His expertise includes franchise marketing, digital transformation, and consumer behavior analysis, making him a key player in BB.Q Chicken’s growth in North America.
