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203 Companies Operating in 77 Countries
The number of Korean restaurant companies running stores overseas has topped 200 for the first time. According to the ‘K-Foodservice Overseas Expansion Status Survey’ released by the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT), 203 Korean restaurant companies were operating abroad as of the second quarter of 2026 — up 81 from 122 in 2025, an increase of 66.4%. Of those, 194 were franchise companies and 9 were non-franchise.
The number of overseas brands reached 228, with 5,188 stores in total, spread across 77 countries. By country, the United States had the most companies present, at 65, followed by Vietnam with 55, Japan with 39, the Philippines with 37, and China with 34. The U.S. also had the most stores of any single country, with 1,228.
Korean Food Brands Lead by Number
By category, Korean food brands accounted for 87 of the overseas brands, or 38% of the total. Chicken brands came next at 32, followed by coffee shops at 23, gimbap and other quick-service eateries at 21, pizza/burger/sandwich brands at 16, and bars at 12. The figures show that what’s known abroad as K-food isn’t limited to packaged food exports — it’s expanding in the form of restaurants and franchise storefronts as well.
By region, Southeast Asia still accounted for the largest share, with 1,895 stores, followed by Northeast Asia with 1,469. But by number of companies, the United States has become the top destination, and the number of companies entering Japan has also grown quickly. That points to Korean restaurant companies’ overseas strategy diversifying beyond its earlier focus on China and Southeast Asia, toward North America, Japan, and other newer markets.
A Renewed Expansion Since 2017
The number of Korean restaurant companies’ overseas stores peaked at 6,001 in 2017 before declining. The number of companies expanding abroad also stalled at 123 in 2021, 124 in 2022, and 125 in 2023. Store counts have since climbed back up, from 4,382 in 2024 to 4,644 in 2025 and 5,188 in the second quarter of 2026. While the store count still hasn’t caught up to the 2017 peak, the number of participating companies has already surpassed its previous high.
This recent expansion looks different from a pattern in which a handful of major brands simply add more stores. Between 2024 and the second quarter of 2026, 96 brands entered overseas markets for the first time. With Korean food, chicken, bakeries, gimbap, and other distinct categories all moving abroad at once, the range of companies and brands involved has broadened — something being read as a ‘second wave of expansion.’
The Next Challenge Is Putting Down Local Roots
In the survey, the most common reason companies gave for expanding overseas was ‘seizing new growth opportunities,’ cited by 24.6% of respondents. That was followed by building a global business foundation at 20.5%, improving revenue and profitability at 19.3%, and boosting brand recognition at 15.2%. As competition intensifies in Korea’s domestic restaurant market, more companies are looking to overseas consumers as a new growth base.
The dominant mode of entry has been the master franchise model, in which a local operator is granted the rights to run a business in a given region. It allows for faster expansion than directly operating every store, but it also means a local partner’s operational skill and quality control have an outsized effect on whether a brand succeeds or fails. For the milestone of 203 companies across 77 countries to translate into sustained growth, expansion will need to be matched not just by more stores, but by menus and service adapted to local food culture and by stable franchise management.
Source: Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation, ‘K-Foodservice Overseas Expansion Status Survey,’ August 3, 2026; Asia Business Daily, August 5, 2026.
