In an exclusive interview with CanadianSME Small Business Magazine, Hwa-yeon Nam, Senior Executive Director of the Global Business Division at Dining Brands Group, reflects on BHC Chicken’s first year in Canada and what it has revealed about building a global brand in a highly competitive local market. With Toronto serving as BHC’s North American flagship, the launch has become a real-world proving ground for operations, menu strategy, and customer behavior.
Interview By Kripa Anand
Hwayeon Nam is a seasoned leader in the food and beverage industry with over two decades of experience driving brand growth and international expansion. She began her career in 1998 at McDonald’s Korea, specializing in marketing and brand development. Her passion for introducing global dining experiences to local markets led her to play a pivotal role in launching and establishing renowned brands such as Crystal Jade, a premium Chinese cuisine concept, and Paul Bassett, a specialty café brand, in South Korea.
Building on her success in Korea, Hwayeon later transitioned into an international leadership role as Head of Operations at Crystal Jade’s Singapore headquarters, where she oversaw multi-market operations and strategic initiatives across Asia. Her expertise spans brand localization, operational excellence, and franchise development, making her a trusted authority in global F&B business strategy.
Currently, Hwayeon serves as Senior Executive Director of the Global Business Division at Dining Brands Group, where she leads the company’s overseas expansion strategy. Under her leadership, bhc has established a strong international footprint, operating in nine countries—including the United States, Canada, Singapore, Thailand, and other Southeast Asian markets—with a network of five company-owned and 33 franchised stores. She is committed to building sustainable growth through innovative market-entry strategies, strong partnerships, and exceptional dining experiences worldwide.
BHC Chicken’s Toronto flagship at The Well is your first Canadian location and North American flagship. Looking back at the first year, what were the biggest learnings from launching in such a competitive, K‑fried-chicken market in downtown Toronto?
Opening our North American flagship in downtown Toronto was never meant to be an easy entry. The K-fried-chicken category is already competitive, and customer expectations in the city are very high. What became clear early on is that differentiation can’t live only in branding—it has to show up consistently in daily operations.
Toronto customers look closely at everything: taste, speed, portioning, consistency, and the overall experience. That reality pushed us to continuously refine our kitchen flow and how we manage peak hours. It was a process of adjustment rather than a single decision.
Another important learning was the role of repeat visits. In a dense urban market, long-term performance depends less on first-time traffic and more on whether customers choose to come back as part of their routine.
Operating at The Well gave us a clear view of what a single store needs to withstand high foot traffic, long operating hours, and a very diverse customer base. That experience has shaped how we think about future locations across North America.
The Toronto restaurant has welcomed over 110,000 visitors in its first 12 months, quickly becoming a high-traffic K-food destination. What did this early performance tell you about Canadian consumer appetite for K‑chicken and K‑culture, and how did it compare with your expectations going in?
Welcoming more than 110,000 visitors in our first year suggested that interest in K-chicken in Canada goes beyond short-term curiosity. What stood out to us was how much of that traffic came from returning customers, which matters more than headline numbers when thinking about long-term growth.
We expected strong engagement from Korean and Asian communities, but what surprised us was how quickly non-Korean customers became comfortable with our menu. Many responded positively to BHC’s seasoning-forward flavors and came back for them.
That experience reinforced something simple: while K-culture can draw initial attention, customers stay for quality and consistency. For us, the first year wasn’t about exceeding expectations, but about confirming that if the fundamentals are done well, the market responds in a very practical way.
You’ve described the Toronto flagship as a testbed for menu localization, operations and customer traffic patterns. What specific insights from this first year are now shaping your playbook for franchise expansion across North America?
The Toronto store gave us clarity through real operating data. We were able to see when demand peaks, where the kitchen feels the most pressure, and how staffing levels affect both speed and customer experience. Those observations now directly inform us how we design and run future stores.
From a menu perspective, it became clearer which items consistently drive repeat visits and which ones help first-time customers feel more comfortable ordering. That allowed us to simplify where needed and focus on what truly supports both operations and customer behavior.
Most importantly, Toronto helped us understand what “healthy performance” looks like for a single store in a North American urban setting. Having that reference point makes decisions around expansion more grounded and less theoretical as we move into Ontario and other markets.
BHC Chicken is known for its signature flavours like Bburinkle and Matcho King, alongside localized items such as poutine and sandwiches in Toronto. How are you balancing brand authenticity with local tastes as you refine your North American menu strategy?
For us, authenticity starts with protecting the core flavors. Items like Bburinkle and Matcho King define BHC and remain central in every market. That foundation doesn’t change.
Localization plays a supporting role. In Toronto, menu items like poutine or sandwiches helped first-time guests approach the brand more comfortably and expanded how customers use the restaurant throughout the day. At the same time, we’re careful not to change our flavor philosophy. We adjust formats, not the identity of the food.
Our approach in North America is to keep the center of the menu very clear and allow limited flexibility around it where it makes sense operationally and culturally. That balance helps the brand stay recognizable while still feeling approachable in a local context.
As head of the Global Business Division at Dining Brands Group, you’re looking beyond a single store to a broader regional strategy. What early trends and opportunities do you see in North America for BHC and other Dining Brands concepts, and what can Canadian SMEs learn from your approach to international expansion?
In North America, consumers are open to global flavors, but their expectations are very practical. Food has to be good every time, service has to be reliable, and the experience can’t fluctuate too much. If those basics aren’t met, it’s hard to build something lasting.
With BHC, operating a single store in Toronto helped us understand those expectations clearly before thinking about the next step. That experience gives us confidence as we look toward Ontario and beyond. We see similar potential for other Dining Brands concepts that can travel without losing their core identity.
For Canadian SMEs, the lesson is straightforward. Before expanding, it’s important to be honest about whether the current model truly works on repeat. And once that answer is clear, moving forward with focus and decisiveness becomes just as important.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this interview are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of CanadianSME Small Business Magazine. Our platform is dedicated to fostering dialogue and sharing insights that inspire and empower small and medium-sized businesses across Canada.
