In the midst of the Korean fried chicken craze, the renowned “Chicken Today,” with nearly half a century of tradition, has landed in the United States. On June 30, marking its 47th anniversary, Chicken Today officially opened its doors near Western Avenue and 6th Street in LA’s Koreatown.
In celebration of the first U.S. store (CEO Jung Woon-Jae), the founder, Chairman Son Young-soon, visited Los Angeles. Chairman Son is often referred to as the master of fried chicken.
In 1977, when fathers would bring home a fried chicken on payday, she started “Samsung Fried Chicken” in a small 7-pyeong (approximately 249 square feet) space with five tables on the first floor of the current Suyu-ri flagship store. She fried and served chicken while carrying her one-year-old son, Kim Jong-hyun (current CEO of Chicken Today), on her back.
At that time, a whole chicken cost 750 won (55 cents). Soon, the chicken, crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, became famous in the Suyu-ri area. People came from all over Seoul and neighboring Gyeonggi Province.
All profits were reinvested in purchasing stores in prime locations, one by one. By 1997, after 20 years in business, Son owned a three-story building. The flagship store in Suyu-ri, which holds the history of Chicken Today, has remained in the same spot for 47 years.
In 2009, Son’s son, Kim Jong-hyun, founded Daehyun Foodville, marking the beginning of the second generation of management. With a background in accounting, Kim officially entered the business and established the government-certified Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point System (HACCP) factory in 2021, transforming the old store into a franchise corporation.
The franchise business began at the request of longtime customers and employees. In 2002, unable to register “Samsung Fried Chicken” as a franchise, the name was changed to “Chicken Today,” inspired by the phrase “chicken you want to eat again today.” The number of franchise memberships is rapidly increasing, with 5 to 6 new members per month, surpassing 100 locations.
With the accumulated customer base across three generations, the unique flavor, and the “granny chic” trend of the millennial and Generation Z, the franchise is growing into a mid-sized company with annual sales exceeding 30 billion won (approximately $22 million). It was also selected as a Blue Ribbon Survey 2024 restaurant.
While CEO Kim oversees the business, Chairman Son focuses on preserving the decades-old traditional taste and developing new menu items. She attributes the secret to their longevity to: unchanging flavor for 47 years, 24-hour vegetable-aged brining, 100% fresh ingredients such as Korean garlic, daily fresh oil use, and double frying for the signature “crispy on the outside and moist on the inside” taste.
Fans of Chicken Today describe it as “juicy” with a “subtle garlic flavor.” The garlic flavor secret comes from Chairman Son’s mother’s cooking methods in her hometown, Jangseong, Jeollanam-do, where she always aged pork with garlic and onions before cooking.
Chairman Son said, “For the past 47 years, we have adhered to the ‘essential taste’ with sincerity and honesty in our food,” and added, “Even with over 30 menu items, the original fried chicken from 1977 remains a favorite among customers.”
The first U.S. location will feature 20 menu items, including “Chicken Today 1977,” marinated with Korean garlic and lightly coated with a special powder developed by Chairman Son, then double-fried, along with lunch specials.
Contact: (213) 375-7001
BY EUNYOUNG LEE, YOUNGNAM KIM [lee.eunyoung6@koreadaily.com]
