Seoul Bird is actively seeking new sites in London, the USA, Middle East and continental Europe, and looks towards an airport debut at Edinburgh Airport.
The latest site will be operated by ARE (Airport Retail Enterprises), with with work due to start later this year. The Korean concept, led by chef Judy Joo, has two sites in London currently, including Canary Wharf and Westfield Shopping Centre.
Discussing developing the brand in the capital, Joo tells MCA, “We bid on a site earlier this month, but pulled out due to unfavourable terms. I just viewed another site today that we are potentially very interested in. We will keep looking until we find something that works.
“Our criteria is a busy high footfall area with both residential and commercial traffic. We predominantly look at second-generation sites as we are conscious of capital expenditure and want to protect return on investment,” she added.
For Joo, the dream is to expand through both investor owned and/or operated sites, licensed deals, and franchising. The Korean American chef and entrepreneur has previously been candid about plans to expand, franchise and then exit the business.
The brand last year launched licensed sites at the Barclays arena in New York, and in the food hall of an MGM hotel and casino in Las Vegas. Its menu predominantly offers Korean street food; including Korean fried chicken, savory barbecue chicken, rice bowls and gourmet burgers.
“We have a simple menu and have really homed in on our operations to streamline everything,” Joo tells MCA. “We fully embrace the challenges of growing and do have growing pains.”
After rising food and energy prices had a significant impact on expansion for Seoul Bird post-pandemic, she adds, “Now, inflation and the cost of living crisis are the main cause of cause of concern.
“People are not spending as much, as mortgage rates have gone through the roof. Customers in general are tightening their purse strings and we see this behaviour across the board.
Although energy costs and supply chain spikes have stabilised, they are still not at 2019 levels, she adds. “There are some concerns with imports from Asia no longer able to go through the Suez Canal, but for the most part prices are stable, but indeed higher than a few years ago.”
In this climate, “People are looking for value more, so offerings like combo meals are quite popular,” Joo explains. Take away has also become a normal occurrence for Seoul Bird, and makes up a “considerable” part of business.
“Customisation has increased too, everyone wants to personalise their dishes adding whatever desired ingredients they want,” Joo adds.
Joo recognises a recent popularisation of Korean cuisine, noting, “We are still an up-and-coming brand and cuisine, but the more awareness there is around Korean food, the more willing people are to try it. It is an education though. “
The founder says that the business will continue to look at dark kitchens as part of its growth strategy, adding “the high cost of delivery makes it difficult for the economics to work.” “We do, however, see a place for dark kitchens in our business model, but the lease would have to be very attractive. It is a good way to reach new markets with low capex.”
The business is also continuing to consider how new technologies can improve operational flow. “We are always looking at new technology and how to automate our operations. We are not experimenting with anything of note right now, but, my dream is to have robots in our kitchens.
“We are already using digital ordering kiosks, and have new POS systems that support all of our back of house needs as well as enhancing the customer experience with items such as loyalty programs,” Joo adds.
Precis
