When you offer chicken lovers with a wide array of mouthwatering sauces and flavors, it’s very difficult to stay unknown. BOK Korean Fried Chicken started becoming popular back in 2020 because of their crunchy Korean-style fried chicken and unique sauces and flavors that caught the hearts of many in the metro.
Being customer-centric has allowed BOK to make decisions towards the wants and needs of their customers whom they like to call ‘BOKada’. This means only serving quality food with generous servings and providing utmost customer service, with a goal of ensuring that all BOKada are left with an enjoyable and fulfilling experience.
At the end of 2022, BOK had grown to over 16 branches nationwide through its rapid corporate and franchise expansion. Its immediate growth and strong demand have been made possible by developing a plug-and-play model, partnering with one of the biggest commissaries in the Philippines, introducing new sauces and products through an R&D Team of culinary professionals, executing 24/7 advertisements, and being featured in several media outlets.
How it all started
“We started BOK August 2020 amid the pandemic. We began as a kitchen hub, or a food brand without any physical presence in Alabang, Muntinlupa selling only Korean fried chicken. Back then, we relied solely on social media and word-of-mouth, delivering through our in-house riders and via Foodpanda and Grabfood. We were only open from 10:30 AM to 8:00 PM serving about 20 orders a day,” recalls CEO En Antonio.
All the owners of BOK Korean Fried Chicken actually came from the finance industry but when they saw the growing demand for their products, they decided to go full time with BOK.
“Three months after the inception of BOK, the demand grew stronger and stronger. We were receiving orders from different parts of Greater Metro Manila – Quezon City, Cavite, Manila, Makati, and other locations far from our Alabang Kitchen Hub. That’s when we realized it was finally time to open another location, now with a storefront in a busy area where we can catch people's attention and create brand recall,” shares Antonio.
During these early stages, the owners had lots of questions in terms of scaling up their business, maintaining product consistency in future branches, managing logistics and supplies, creating new products, and more. But they took a leap of faith and made great decisions moving forward.
“It was evident that at an early stage of BOK, having our own commissary would not yet be ideal. At that time, we were only aware of big-named commissaries but felt that we were too small to be considered as a client. Nevertheless, we took a leap of faith. We pitched, committed, negotiated and to our surprise, eventually landed a partnership with one of the biggest commissaries in the Philippines, MacroAsia SATS Food Industries (MSFI). Our partnership with MSFI is truly a game changer for us as they provide production, R&D, and logistical support to all branches,” Antonio says.
In terms of scaling up and multiplying their business, the owners of BOK Korean Fried Chicken opted to bank on the expertise of franchise consultants and developers in order to solidify their franchise goals.
“With minimal experience in scaling a business, we turned to a partnership with Francorp to create a franchise package suitable for us and acceptable to potential franchisees. They have assisted us in determining a realistic and desirable franchise fee, royalty, and marketing fee against the competition. Furthermore, they have also helped us co-develop the operations manual with their inputs on best practices which we currently use today – solidifying our end-to-end process for each branch,” the CEO shares.
Interesting facts about BOK
1. Their brand name ‘BOK’ has a meaningful backstory
The owners said they chose to name their business BOK because of three reasons. First, “bok” is the sound that chickens make when they cluck and so, it immediately reminds customers of their main product.
“Second, since we’re a Korean fried chicken chain, we also wanted our brand to have the Korean word ‘bok’ which actually means fortune,” Antonio says. “Lastly, we wanted to create a community culture with our customers that we fondly call our BOKada, and as we all know, ‘bok’ in Filipino is actually a slang term used to call a friend.”
2. They double-fry their chicken for that extra crunch
For everyone who has tasted or for anyone who is interested to try BOK, their chicken’s signature crunch is simply unforgettable. How do they do it?
Korean fried chicken is actually double-fried so that it becomes crunchy outside and juicy inside. No wonder why BOK instantly became the talk-of-the-town when they first opened during the pandemic.
3. Their best-selling flavor is Snow Cheese
Famous for their Korean Buffalo, Jack, Yangnyeom, Spicy, Soy Garlic, and other flavors and sauces, BOK’s most loved offering is Snow Cheese. “It’s made out of a combination of different cheeses – slightly sweet and a bit creamy which Filipinos love,” Antonio says.
4. They already received a business award
“Being recognized by Ayala, through the Ayala Enterprise Circle’s IncrediBiz Awards, as part of the Top 3 SMEs under the Best in Growth category, is one of our biggest achievements,” he says.
Moreover, since its opening, BOK has been able to launch three new flavors: Lemon Pepper, Honey Butter, and the best-selling Snow Cheese as well as four new products: Sausage Corndog Bites, Mozzarella Corndog Bites, Korean Style Spaghetti, and Skinny Fries. “We will continue innovating and perfecting our products so that our BOKada and franchisees are always happy and fulfilled,” he adds.
How to franchise BOK
If you are interested in franchising BOK Korean Fried Chicken, you can either join a Franchise Discovery Day or visit this link to know more about the concept. Next step is to submit the requirements which include pre-qualification form, letter of intent, location proposal with map, and bank statement.
Once your application is assessed and approved, the next step is franchise agreement signing and payment. In as fast as two months from signing the franchise agreement, store construction and training will commence in preparation for the grand opening of your branch. #
Are you interested in franchising BOK Korean Fried Chicken? You may call/text (+632) 8634.05.86, (+632) 8634.37.17, (+63920) 983.02.47, or (+63917) 881.69.99 or email franchising@ufranchiseasia.com.