International franchise brands, market entry and the business stories shaping Korea’s streets.
Chicken has long been one of Korea’s most familiar post-retirement businesses. But with nearly 29,000 franchise outlets, rising operating costs and a 12% annual closure rate, opening a chicken restaurant can no longer be considered an easy or low-risk retirement strategy. SOHOFRANCHISE examines whether smaller, owner-operated neighborhood concepts could still work for Korea’s aging baby-boom generation.
South Korea has become one of Asia’s most competitive burger markets. McDonald’s leads in sales, while Mom’s Touch and Lotteria dominate the country by store count. But behind the brand rankings lies a very different franchise structure: some chains are almost entirely franchised, while others remain predominantly company-owned. SOHOFRANCHISE examines market size, store networks, franchise ratios, sales and startup costs.
South Korea’s restaurant franchise industry is expanding just as 9.54 million second-generation baby boomers begin entering retirement. This demographic shift could create a major new market for franchise ownership, particularly for smaller, lower-labor and easier-to-operate food businesses.
