What Is Bonchon? Meaning, History & What It’s Known For

Bonchon is a Korean fried chicken chain founded in Busan, South Korea, in 2002. The name means “my hometown” in Korean. It’s best known for chicken that is fried twice and then hand-brushed with sauce, and it now runs more than 150 restaurants across the United States.

This page covers what the name means, where Bonchon came from, what it’s known for, and how it compares to other Korean fried chicken chains. For prices and the full menu, see the homepage guide. BonchonMenuPrice.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with Bonchon.

Bonchon at a Glance

Company history details are drawn from Bonchon’s own press materials and Bonchon’s Wikipedia entry. Location counts change as restaurants open and close.

What Does Bonchon Mean?

Bonchon (본촌) translates to “my hometown” in Korean. In Hanja, the Chinese characters sometimes used alongside Korean, it’s written 本村, which combines “origin” and “village.” The name nods to Busan, the coastal city where founder Jinduk Seo opened the first location.

It’s pronounced roughly “bon-chon,” with both syllables rhyming with “on.” You’ll also see it written as Bon Chon or BonChon, especially on older signage and menus. All three refer to the same chain.

Is Bonchon Korean or Japanese? Korean. The chain was founded in South Korea and its signature dishes are Korean. Its menu does include a few Japanese-style items, such as chicken katsu and takoyaki, which sometimes causes the confusion.

A Short History of Bonchon

Bonchon didn’t start as a restaurant. According to a Restaurant Dive interview with the company’s former CEO, Jinduk Seo began in 2002 by selling his sauces on chicken near a university in Busan. The sauces became popular enough that he built a restaurant brand around them.

Fort Lee was a deliberate first stop: it has a large Korean-American community that already knew what Korean fried chicken was supposed to taste like. A New York City flagship followed soon after, and the chain grew from there. Bonchon is widely credited as the first Korean fried chicken brand to expand internationally, and it’s considered one of the largest Asian restaurant chains in the US by revenue.

What Is Bonchon Known For?

Double-fried chicken

Every piece is hand-battered, fried, rested, then fried again. The second fry is what creates the thin, shattering crust that Bonchon is known for, and it’s why the coating holds up longer than most fried chicken. We break down the technique in what is double-fried chicken.

Hand-brushed sauces

Instead of tossing chicken in a bowl of sauce, Bonchon brushes it on after frying. That keeps the crust from going soggy. The signature sauces are Soy Garlic, Spicy, Korean BBQ and Yangnyeom, plus a no-sauce Classic Crunch option. See all Bonchon sauces ranked, or Classic Crunch if you prefer it plain.

More than chicken

The menu goes well beyond wings. It includes Korean dishes like bibimbap, japchae and bulgogi, along with starters, sides and Korean donuts for dessert.

What’s on the Bonchon Menu?

Prices vary by location. For every item with calories, see the full menu guide and our nutrition facts

Is Bonchon Fast Food?

It sits somewhere between fast food and a sit-down restaurant. Most locations offer table service, a full menu and drinks, but orders are also built for takeout and delivery. Chicken is cooked to order, which is why waits run longer than at a typical fast food chain. We cover the question in more detail in is Bonchon fast food.

How Bonchon Compares to Other Korean Chicken Chains

Bonchon isn’t the only Korean fried chicken chain in the US. Kyochon, which started in Korea before Bonchon, and bb.q Chicken are its two closest rivals. Each has a different take on sauce, crunch and menu size. See Bonchon vs Kyochon, Bonchon vs bb.q Chicken, and our ranking of the best Korean fried chicken chains in the USA.

Where to Find Bonchon

Bonchon operates 150-plus restaurants across 27-plus US states, with the biggest concentrations in California, Virginia, New York, Texas and Maryland. Because every US restaurant is independently franchised, hours, prices and even some menu items can differ between locations. Our Bonchon locations guide lists every state, and our hours guide covers typical opening times.

Common Questions

What does Bonchon mean?

Bonchon (본촌) means “my hometown” in Korean, a reference to Busan, the city where the first restaurant opened in 2002.

How do you pronounce Bonchon?

“Bon-chon,” with both syllables rhyming with “on.” It’s also written Bon Chon or BonChon.

When and where was Bonchon founded?

In 2002, in Busan, South Korea, by Jinduk Seo. The first US location opened in Fort Lee, New Jersey, in 2006.

Where is Bonchon headquartered?

Dallas, Texas. The company was previously based in New York City.

Is Bonchon Korean or Japanese?

Korean. A few Japanese-style dishes like chicken katsu and takoyaki appear on the menu, but the chain and its signature fried chicken are Korean.

What is Bonchon best known for?

Double-fried Korean chicken that’s hand-brushed with sauce after frying. Soy Garlic is the most popular sauce.

Is Bonchon halal?

Most US locations are not halal-certified, though a small number are. See our halal guide for confirmed locations.

How many Bonchon locations are there?

More than 150 in the United States across 27-plus states, plus locations in several countries in Asia.

Start with the food: Full menu & prices · Korean Fried Chicken · Sauces ranked

Plan your visit: Locations · Hours · Ordering guide

BonchonMenuPrice Team

BonchonMenuPrice.com is an independent food information site. Our team compiles
prices and nutrition data from Bonchon’s official menus, cross-checks them across
multiple US locations, and updates pages whenever the menu changes.