[News Space=Reporter seungwon lee] Dining Brands Group's chicken brand bhc is set to make a full-fledged foray into the Philippine market by signing a store opening agreement with SM Supermalls, the largest shopping mall operator in the Philippines, and a master franchise (MF) agreement with Suyen Corporation, a leading retail company in the Philippines.

The contract signing ceremony held in Manila, Philippines on July 21st and 22nd was attended by Song Ho-seop, CEO of Dining Brands Group, key executives from Suyen Corporation, a Philippine master franchise (MF) partner, Hans Sy, Chairman of SM Prime Holdings, and Steven Tan, President of SM Supermalls, who pledged successful cooperation.

BHC has signed an active cooperation agreement with SM Supermalls, which operates over 90 shopping malls across the Philippines, to expand its market in the Philippines by opening at least 10 stores within two years. SM Supermalls is one of the largest shopping mall operators in Southeast Asia and is known as a key distribution channel for global food brands entering the Philippine market.

It is showing a high success rate through systematic operational support such as joint marketing with the brands that have entered the store and maximizing customer inflow, and in particular, it highly values the brand value of bhc and is actively collaborating for a successful launch.

The MF contract with Suyen Corporation is also noteworthy. Suyen Corporation is a leading distribution company in the Philippines that operates in various fields such as retail, food service, and beauty, including Bench, PAUL, and Marugame Udon. It operates a total of 69 global brands, including 10 food service brands, and over 1,800 stores. bhc plans to combine the brand competitiveness it has built up over the years with the operational capabilities of local partners to ensure stable entry into the Philippine market.

In particular, this case, in which a shopping mall store contract was concluded at the same time as the MF contract, is an unusual case that is rare even in the industry. With the acquisition of a stable operating partner and confirmation of opening a store in a major commercial area, bhc’s advance into the Philippines is expected to proceed with greater speed.

Song Ho-seop, CEO of Dining Brands Group, said, “Both Suyen Corporation and SM Supermalls are the best partners with extensive experience and strong infrastructure in the retail and restaurant industries, and we expect that bhc’s brand competitiveness will elicit a positive response in the Philippine market as well.” He added, “Starting with the first store, we will establish ourselves as a brand representing K-chicken and expand globally by increasing our touchpoints with local consumers.”