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If you love Korean fried chicken, say, “Ne, ne” – a phrase that translates to “Yes, yes” in Korean.
One of Korea’s largest and most popular fried chicken brands, NeNe Chicken is truly hard to resist. Korean fried chicken has become renowned worldwide and considered one of the country’s most popular dishes. But why exactly is Korean fried chicken so popular?
To get some answers, we got in touch with Caleb Lee, CEO of Canada’s NeNe Chicken franchise. We discussed why he brought the chicken chain to Vancouver and why the dish continues to capture the hearts – and taste buds – of foodies.
Coming to Canada
NeNe chicken first opened in Korea in 1999 and quickly became one of the country’s top five Korean chicken brands. The restaurant established itself with originald dishes like Snowing Cheese Chicken and Green Onion Chicken (Padak). As of 2023, they have over 1,200 branches and more than 145 overseas stores in nine countries and regions, including Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan, the Middle East, Japan, Canada, and Thailand, with their first international location opening in Singapore in 2012. NeNe Chicken is poised to open its first store in China and the Philippines, thanks to the enthusiastic response of K-chicken-loving overseas fans.
After a year of traveling from Korea to Canada to discuss opening a franchise in Vancouver, Lee finally opened the first Kingsway branch in 2019.
“I thought really hard about what kind of Korean brand would fit Canada the best and I knew it was Nene chicken,” said Lee. Although he admits that he loves sushi and ramen, Lee wanted to start a franchise beloved by a large population. In doing so, he hoped to get closer to people in Canada through a shared love for fried chicken.
However, starting NeNe Chicken in Vancouver wasn’t an easy journey for Lee.
“Although I successfully completed the opening contract in 2019 with NeNe Chicken to open the first Canadian franchise branch in Vancouver, Covid-19 hit and made it even more difficult to carry on with the opening,” he said.
Luckily, Lee’s career in the food industry helped him get through a difficult time. Having owned and managed sushi and ramen restaurants in Vancouver for years, Lee had years of experience in the food industry. As a result, he felt equipped to manage NeNe Chicken, having had experience as a franchisee and a franchisor.
After careful consideration on their first branch location, he successfully opened Canada’s first NeNe chicken store in Kingsway. Despite the challenges, the opening was a huge success.
“I was scared because there were so many people,” said Lee, recalling the first few months. “I was so thankful because I didn’t do any promotions but people found us because so many people know about NeNe Chicken already. I remember the lineup was as long as 200 metres for two months.”
But it wasn’t smooth sailing.
Despite the huge success, Lee also recalled his misses and how he received lots of complaints – the lineup was so long that it took customers an hour or two to receive their chicken.
Seeing how busy the first location got, he was desperate to open up a second one, which was up and running in just four months.
“I am confident because I made mistakes before and so, I know how to make the franchise better,” said Lee.
Say “NeNe” to taste, quality, and service
“Ethics, taste, and quality are my utmost priority,” Lee said firmly.
He added, “One of the challenges many franchises face is making food taste the same. However, at NeNe Chicken, we use the same Korean machine and same sauce distributed by the headquarters to make our chicken exactly the same.”
NeNe chicken aims to make their chicken taste the same by sourcing the same sauce distributed from the head company and by also using the same type of machine to rest and flavour the chicken.
Since the flavours are consistent with NeNe Chicken in Korea, Lee said it makes people feel like they’re home.
“Our customers can come to Nene Chicken getting [exactly] what they expect,” he explained.
The only difference: the size of the chicken. Compared to its Korean counterpart, Canadian chicken is slightly bigger.
Lee said that he also hopes to have Korea as a motivation to bring more ethical processes to Canada. After visiting NeNe Chicken’s headquarters and factories, Lee was drawn by the company’s emphasis on ethical ways to process chicken – values he hopes to bring to NeNe Chicken in Canada.
There’s also another thing that sets NeNe Chicken apart: its practical and iconic pizza box-style packaging (patent number 0251881), the first of its kind.
The box is divided into sections in a flat and convenient box, making it easier to enjoy its contents. It also contains chicken, radish, honey mustard sauce, two kinds of salads, and a drink.
Uniting the world through a love for chicken
K-drama fans will be more than familiar with fried chicken, often featured in popular shows. Lee credits Hallyu (Korean wave) for allowing him to connect with customers.
“I was surprised and feeling so thankful when a non-Korean customer came in to order chicken in Korean,” he recalled. “A lot of my customers, both Koreans and non-Koreans, have a deep connection with Korea… and I enjoy listening to their stories.”
It is notable how in December of 2022, Lee successfully launched his third Canadian branch in Toronto, located at 4891 Yonge Street. He has plans to expand NeNe Chicken in Edmonton and Calgary, as well as opening more franchises in other cities. Lee believes that NeNe Chicken is slowly but surely becoming a global brand.
From introducing new menus to hosting fun events, Lee said he continues to search for creative ways to connect with customers.
“I wanted to bring in more non-spicy food to Canada to cater to those with a low spice tolerance and host events such as spicy food eating challenge because it’s fun!” he said. “I want NeNe Chicken to be a fun and friendly place where people can drop by casually.”
Lee further noted that globalising NeNe Chicken is the ultimate goal.
“It’s not about the quantity of stores but where and how we open our store,” he explained.
With that goal in mind, he said he wants it to be seen as a Korean name that’s known as a local chicken spot anywhere in the world.
“Even though it’s a Korean brand, I want NeNe Chicken to be more than just a Korean brand,” he said.
For events, promos, and menus, follow Vancouver NeNe Chicken on Instagram at @nenechickenca (www.instagram.com/nenechickenca/). Visit their Vancouver locations at 1070 Kingsway or 1231 Davie Street.
