27 Billion Won in Sales from Czech Match... World Cup Boom Drives Group Reservations at Chicken Restaurants

Chicken Payments Surge to 2.7 Billion Won on Czech Republic Match Day

Estimated Payments for BHC, BBQ, and Kyochon Up 38%

Compared to Same Day Previous Week

On June 12, the day of the '2026 North and Central America World Cup' match against the Czech Republic, major chicken franchise payment volumes saw a significant increase. This indicates that the tradition of 'chicken with soccer' resonated even during a weekday morning match. The chicken industry is planning to continue capitalizing on the World Cup boom on June 19 and 25, when the second and third group matches are held.

According to Mobile Index, a data analysis solution by IGAWorks, the estimated total credit and debit card payments at three major chicken franchises—BHC, BBQ, and Kyochon Chicken (Kyochon F&B)—reached 2,696,520,000 won on June 12, the day of the Czech match. This figure represents a 37.7% increase compared to the same day of the previous week (June 5) and is nearly 80% higher than the day before. It is also 63% higher than the daily average for June (1,652,690,000 won, based on June 1–12), and more than double the yearly daily average.

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By brand, BBQ's estimated transaction volume on June 12 increased by 58.2% compared to a week earlier, while BHC and Kyochon Chicken saw increases of 34.6% and 27.4%, respectively. When compared to this year's daily average, BBQ’s estimated transaction volume for that single day more than tripled, while BHC and Kyochon Chicken each saw approximately a twofold increase.

The chicken industry has long benefited from surges in demand during major sporting events such as the World Cup. In particular, when matches are held in the evening, orders for chicken and beer tend to skyrocket. This year, with most matches scheduled on weekday mornings, it was anticipated that related demand would be limited.

However, in practice, demand for items such as brunch did emerge, enabling the industry to enjoy a boom. Both BHC and BBQ reported that their sales between morning and 1 p.m. on the match day increased more than fourfold compared to the same timeframe the previous week. In some office district stores, such as those in Gwanghwamun and Euljiro, there were a surge in group reservations and a flood of orders.

Delivery demand also grew. Woowa Brothers, operator of Baemin (Baedal Minjok), announced that total orders between 9 a.m. and noon on match day increased by 51.5% compared to the same day of the previous week. Orders between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., just before the match began, jumped by 90.6%. In particular, chicken orders soared by 875.8% week-on-week, marking the highest growth among all food categories. The increase in orders was especially notable in office districts and university areas.

The chicken industry has strengthened promotions to capitalize on the so-called 'daytime chimaek' (chicken and beer) trend and make the most of the World Cup boom. Ahead of the World Cup, companies launched major events including discounts on signature menus, prize giveaways, and app-exclusive benefits. For now, these promotions will continue at least through the confirmed schedule of the second and third group matches, and additional events may be held if the national team advances to the round of 32 tournament.

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An industry source stated, "With the victory in the first group match, there is strong anticipation that the excitement will continue in the second and third matches. Since promotions have already been planned through the third match, we will monitor the progress and adjust our plans accordingly." Another source added, "Given the high proportion of franchisees in the industry, franchise owners can choose to open early at their discretion, and on the day of the Czech match, many viewed the World Cup as a special occasion and opened early. As of around 10 a.m. on match day, more than half of all franchise stores were open."

Meanwhile, companies are making every effort to address the ongoing chicken supply instability that has persisted since the beginning of the year to meet rising demand. Due to the impact of highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI), the chicken industry has faced difficulties in broiler supply this year. In fact, Goobne Chicken adjusted the portion sizes of certain menu items, and Kyochon Chicken recently made temporary changes to some menu offerings due to delays in the import of Thai chicken caused by supply instability. Although securing supply remains challenging, franchise owners have no choice but to increase orders due to the World Cup.

An industry official commented, "With avian influenza and surging demand, it is difficult to guarantee 100% chicken supply, but we are doing our utmost. As we head into the peak summer season, we are closely monitoring the situation and making every effort to secure raw materials to meet demand."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.