Pizza Is Already Franchised. Can Authentic Italian Restaurants Be Next in Korea?
Korea has one of Asia’s most mature pizza franchise markets, with hundreds of Domino’s, Pizza Hut and Papa Johns outlets. Authentic Italian restaurants, however, remain far more fragmented and chef-dependent. With Korea attracting a record 18.9 million foreign visitors in 2025 and Eataly expanding to a fourth Korean location in Gangnam in August 2026, could premium Italian dining become Korea’s next scalable restaurant franchise category?