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Fried chicken portions shrink as costs continue to rise for franchises

Published: 15 Sep. 2025, 12:07 Updated: 15 Sep. 2025, 13:11

A Kyochon Chicken branch in Seoul [NEWS1]

Koreans are paying the same for fried chicken, but getting less of it. As raw material costs soar, major franchises are quietly cutting portion sizes and swapping in cheaper cuts, a strategy critics call “shrinkflation.” What looks like the same box of chicken now weighs less, leaving consumers with less meat for the same money.

Kyochon F&B, operator of Kyochon Chicken, on Thursday slashed the precooked weight of its popular boneless soy-garlic and red chicken from 700 grams (24.5 ounces) to 500 grams, nearly a 30 percent cut. Ten new boneless flavors launched this week — including mala red and honey garlic — also debuted at the lower weight.

The changes go beyond size.

Kyochon shifted from brushing sauce on each piece to tossing chicken in seasoning, and began mixing in chicken breast with thigh meat, once a hallmark of its boneless line. A company representative defended the move as a measure to “improve franchisee profitability.”

BHC’s KwaSakKing chicken [WOO JI-WON]

Other brands are trimming quietly. Nonghyup Moguchon’s Toreore chain downsized its chicken from birds weighing 1.05 to 1.15 kilograms (2.3 to 2.5 pounds) to birds weighing 0.95 to1.05 kilograms late last month — the menu prices remain unchanged, but customers now get about 100 grams less.

The industry points to soaring costs. Live chicken prices averaged 1,889 won ($1.35) per kilogram last month, up 8.6 percent year-on-year, according to the Korea Rural Economic Institute. In May, prices spiked to 2,403 won, nearly 57 percent higher than a year earlier. An official from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said heat waves and dry weather hit production hard, adding to the squeeze.

Global supply shocks have compounded the problem. Brazil supplies more than 86 percent of Korea’s imported chicken, but Seoul suspended shipments for three months after an avian flu outbreak in May. Imports resumed in August, but some franchises had already raised menu prices during the shortage.

Delivery services are also driving price changes. With commission fees mounting, franchises are turning to “dual pricing,” charging more for delivery than for in-store purchases. Jadam Chicken introduced the system in April, followed by BHC in June. A BHC spokesperson said the move is meant to steer customers toward direct orders through its own app, where prices stick to headquarters’ recommendations.

For consumers, the outcome is clear: a smaller bird, higher effective prices and more inconsistency between stores. For franchisees, executives say the moves are survival tactics. “Discounts and coupons can’t cover these costs anymore,” one industry source admitted. “Headquarters can only absorb so much loss. Without raising sticker prices, cutting portions is the only option left.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM KYUNG-MI [[email protected]]