KoKoDoo

About KoKoDoo

Korean friend chicken brand founded as a Korean restaurant by Joseph and Mary Yoon in 2006 before evolving into a street food concept in 2016. In September 2024, KoKoDoo relaunched its franchise programme and said it is set to launch a new flagship site in London. “When we first launched our catering business in 2016, we could have never imagined we’d end up serving our food at so many prestigious events like the PGA Championship, Royal Ascot, Silverstone F1 and Lord’s Cricket Ground, to name a few,” Joseph said. “Now, moving into 2025, we’re taking things to the next level as we officially fully transition into the fast-food franchise market.

“Over the past eight years, the demand for our Korean fried chicken has skyrocketed at stadiums and venues across the UK. With five thriving franchised locations across the UK and more on the way, we’re just getting started. Korean food is getting more popular than ever, and with our own flagship location launching soon and a growing list of prospective franchisees eager to join, let’s make something big together.”

In April 2025, Yoon told Propel KoKoDoo is set to kickstart its expansion plans and is looking to “scale rapidly” as overseas competitors eye the UK market. “Our franchise programme is currently on pause as we focus on launching our first flagship site in London, which will be owned and operated by the parent company,” he said. “We’ve secured a site in Fulham Broadway and are currently in the early stages of finalising the acquisition.

“We haven’t yet had the chance to open a company-owned location, so this launch is a key milestone for us. We’re targeting a third quarter opening, after which we’ll fully resume our franchise expansion plans. This site will set the standard moving forward and we intend to use it as the blueprint for future franchise locations.

“Once relaunched, we’ll be open to working with both single-site operators and multi-site franchisees who share our brand values and long-term vision. Our current focus remains in the Greater London area, and we plan on opening several of our sites in London ourselves alongside our franchisees.

“However, we currently have a franchisee who operates in Swansea, which demonstrates our capacity to successfully support remote franchisees outside of the London area. We will certainly also be looking to find franchisees who can work with us in the Midlands and north west areas soon, such as Birmingham and Manchester.

“Although the transition into the franchise sector since 2023 has been somewhat slower than we’d hoped, we’re confident in the strength and uniqueness of our product and we see ourselves becoming the leading Korean fried chicken franchise in the UK. We are aware there are several Korean fried chicken brands from Korea and the US eyeing the UK market. In light of this, accelerating our own expansion is a top priority beginning, with the launch of our flagship site, and we’re positioning ourselves to scale rapidly in succession.”

The flagship Fulham site opened in January 2026. In July 2026, the now four-strong company said it is to launch a new site within Boxpark Wembley. Managing director Joe Yoon said: “Four years ago, after graduating, I made the decision to join the business my parents founded in London in 2016, rather than pursue the master’s degree I had originally planned. As I reflect on four years with the business and ten years since KokoDoo’s inception, our events catering division remains the foundation of the business and continues to account for the majority of our revenue.

“From the fourth quarter, additional food trucks and catering assets will join our fleet as we continue investing in this side of the business and work towards doubling our current catering revenue heading into 2027. At the same time, opening our first company-owned flagship in Fulham earlier this year has provided valuable insight into how the retail business should continue to evolve.

“This August, we will launch our brand-new K-BBQ range, reintroducing the broader range of authentic Korean dishes that featured in KokoDoo’s original food truck concept. This August will also see the opening of a new KokoDoo location at Boxpark Wembley.

“Looking further ahead, our wider franchise programme will reopen in 2027 with a selective approach, focused on partnering with a small number of ambitious operators while continuing to expand our company-owned estate.”

Why franchise with KoKoDoo

• ✓Franchise fee is £10,000 (for a limited time, normally £15,000), with package fee ranging from £100,000 to £200,000. Royalties 5-6% for the first six months and 7% threreafter. Franchisees do not need to have experience in management or food and will receive everything needed to set up a business, including training and ongoing support.
• ✓The KoKoDoo business model is a low overhead, high profit business and every franchise launch is unique and individual, while all initial training is done on a one-to-one basis. The franchise agreement is for five years, leaving the franchisee with an asset that is realisable at a premium price.
• ✓The company has built good relationships with major lenders who will support potential franchisees with their initial franchise fee subject to their normal lending criteria. It also has a loan facility in place with The Start Up Loans Company, a UK government lending initiative where new start franchises can borrow unsecured and at a low rate of interest up to £25,000 for the purchase and establishment of the business.
• ✓The company said: “The success keeps coming – we want to share our business with franchisees across the UK so everyone can have a taste of our award-winning Korean cuisine. The KoKoDoo franchise is flexible and affordable for any budding entrepreneur, whether you want to run your business full-time or part-time with the support of the experienced head office team.”

Investment breakdown