CEBU’S restaurant industry gets another boost as another investor prepares to open a P10-million restaurant specializing in South Korean dishes at the Ayala Terraces in Cebu City.
Steven Yu, BonChon Cebu franchisee, said he’s optimistic that his investment, BonChon Cebu restaurant, would be a big hit with Cebuanos.
“BonChon is going to meet the sophisticated taste of the Cebuano market,” said Yu, who scheduled the restaurant’s opening in early October.
BonChon, a Korean word which means “original village” is an international brand that was established in 2002 in South Korea.
Designed as a Quick Service Restaurant (QSR), BonChon penetrated the global market in 2007 with stores in key cities in Asia and in some states in the U.S.
Its original Korean fried chicken has earned a following in areas where it has branches such as Manila.
In the Philippines, the Cebu branch is the 30th and the second franchise branch next to Davao.
“We’re targeting another 40 stores next year. In fact, there will be two more branches opening in Cebu soon,” said Bonchon managing director Alexander Scott Tan.
Yu, who’s into the retail and distribution business, said he was looking for two more possible areas to set up outlets in Cebu. /Contributor Anabelle L. Balanzar