Global Restaurant Franchise Weekly Briefing: Nov 24, 2025
A weekly briefing on global restaurant franchising and what it means for Korean headquarters
Global franchising, international restaurant news, franchise ERP, FDAM, overseas expansion, franchise M&A, smart restaurants, franchise AI, restaurant trends, HQ operating systems
Weekly Briefing · 2025.11.24
Global Restaurant Franchise
Weekly Briefing
This Week's Keywords · US — LA Korean fine dining moves downtown; a historic New York restaurant becomes a multi-brand group · China and Vietnam — Xibei and Mixue recalibrate pricing and expansion as price sensitivity rises · Japan and Singapore — Burger King and Creative Eateries acquisitions signal a wave of PE and platform-style M&A · France — Debate over a "burger tax" aimed only at large franchises · Taiwan — Government steps up smart restaurant and AI adoption policies |
This is a weekly briefing on international franchising and the restaurant industry for Korean franchisor headquarters. We've gathered the latest issues from nine countries and regions, including the US, China, Japan, Europe, and Southeast Asia. Take a look at the trends worth considering for your overseas expansion strategy and operational decisions.
Compiled by: FDAM, the ERP built for franchises
1. US West | LA Korean Fine Dining Restaurant "Hojokban" Opens in the Arts District
Korean restaurant "Hojokban" has opened in the Arts District of downtown Los Angeles. Backed by a team that has already built a local following, it's betting on a "modern Korean" concept that combines Korean-based tasting courses with a bar menu. It's highly symbolic as a sign of Korean food expanding beyond LA's Koreatown into the city's core commercial districts.
It's another example of how Korean and Asian casual dining has become a natural part of mainstream consumer life in the western US.
Takeaways for Korean HQs Korean franchisor headquarters can benchmark structures like "joint brands with local chefs" and "flagship fine dining → casual expansion" for their overseas store opening strategies. A phased approach works well: use the first store to build brand awareness, then split subsequent stores into a casual line. |
2. US East | 120-Year-Old "Jack's Oyster House" Relaunches as a Multi-Brand Group
Building on Jack's Oyster House, a 120-year-old institution in Albany, New York, the operator is reorganizing into a multi-brand restaurant group called Jack's Restaurant Group. The plan is to bring restaurants with different concepts, such as steak, seafood, and casual dining, under one group to improve operating efficiency, with an eye toward expanding into markets beyond the region.
It again confirms a trend in major East Coast cities: traditional restaurants grouping into brands and incorporating, evolving into equity investment and holding company models.
Takeaways for Korean HQs It's time for Korean franchises to think not only about expanding a single brand but also about how to design a "multi-concept portfolio." A system that can compare and manage each brand's operating data on the same standard is a prerequisite for forming a group. |
3. China | Xibei (西貝) Cuts All Menu Prices by Up to 20% After Pre-Cooked Food Controversy
Xibei (西貝), a restaurant chain with about 400 locations in China, has decided to cut prices across its entire menu by 5–20% following a recent controversy over pre-cooked meals (預製菜). Consumers had criticized the chain for relying too heavily on cost-saving pre-cooked ingredients relative to its high prices, and after this led to falling sales and store closures, the brand chose to confront the issue head-on.
At the same time, it is working on a "shared growth" image through staff pay raises and supply chain adjustments. It's a sign that with price sensitivity in China's restaurant market reaching extreme levels, even large chains have entered a phase of completely restructuring pricing, supply chain, and PR strategies to rebuild brand trust.
Takeaways for Korean HQs Headquarters considering China should note that transparency in cost structure and the level of disclosure on ingredient sourcing are becoming key variables in brand trust. To prepare for the possibility of a similar trend in Korea, it's safer for HQ to build a foundation for managing ingredient and supply chain data in a system ahead of time. |
4. Japan | Goldman Sachs to Acquire Burger King Japan for JPY 70 Billion as Hong Kong Fund Exits After 4x Growth
Reports say Hong Kong-based private equity firm Affinity Equity Partners, which owns the Burger King Japan business, is in talks to sell it to Goldman Sachs for about JPY 70 billion. After securing the Burger King Japan master franchise in 2017, Affinity expanded both company-owned and franchise stores, growing the store count from fewer than 80 to more than 300 and lifting sales into the JPY 30 billion range before moving to exit.
It's another example of the "PE-style franchise value maximization → sale" model built on a global brand in Japan's QSR market, and there's talk that it could accelerate M&A among other restaurant brands in Japan.
Takeaways for Korean HQs When entering Japan, Korean franchisor headquarters need to choose partners with both "operator capability + exit strategy" in mind. Partnerships designed around capital flows, rather than simple master franchise agreements, are becoming increasingly important. |
5. France | Proposed "Burger Tax" Sparks Debate Over an Extra Levy Aimed Only at Large Fast-Food Franchises
As the French parliament debates a so-called "burger tax" (taxe burger) that would add a levy on high-calorie fast-food meals such as burgers and soft drinks, large franchises like McDonald's and Burger King are pushing back. The French franchise federation in particular criticizes it as "reverse discrimination," since only franchises would be taxed while independent restaurants selling the same items would be exempt.
It's justified by increased tax revenue and improving obesity and public health, but critics argue it could actually hurt youth employment and the economies of outlying commercial areas. It can be seen as an opening skirmish in a broader shift toward "regulatory taxation of large restaurant franchises" across major European countries.
Takeaways for Korean HQs This trend could become a variable not only for global chains but also for Korean brands' EU expansion strategies. You need to review not just the regulatory environment at the time of entry, but also regulatory scenarios that may be introduced in the future. |
6. Taiwan | Government Hosts "Smart Restaurant × AI Commercial Services Forum"
The Department of Commerce under Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs held the "Smart Restaurant × AI Commercial Services New Ecosystem Forum," sharing AI adoption strategies across the restaurant and service industries. Major restaurant groups and startups, including the Taiwan Chain Stores and Franchise Association and Hi-Lai Foods, presented cases such as AI-based demand forecasting, smart ordering, inventory and ordering optimization, and chatbot customer service.
The government even set quantitative targets for AI adoption, including improving labor efficiency by 20% or more, growing sales by 10% or more, and reducing ingredient loss by 7% or more, and said it would push "policy + field validation" at the same time. It's a sign that support policies are advancing to require AI usage metrics, going beyond simple POS and ERP.
Takeaways for Korean HQs Korean franchisor headquarters should keep in mind that similar standards may apply to future government projects and support programs. Adopting an ERP combined with an AI assistant early and accumulating clean HQ operating data creates a foundation that holds steady through policy changes. |
7. Singapore | Asia White Knight Acquires Creative Eateries, Targets SGD 100 Million in Sales Within 5 Years
Homegrown Singapore F&B group Creative Eateries has been acquired by Asia White Knight Group, a franchise and investment specialist. Creative Eateries is a mid-sized restaurant group with 13 brands, including Suki-Ya, Bangkok Jam, and Typhoon Cafe, plus a catering business, and it aims to reach SGD 100 million in sales within five years of the acquisition.
Drawing on its experience franchising the café chain Joe & Dough, the new operator plans to pursue an integrated membership and loyalty program, cross-brand promotions, and data-driven operational efficiency. Southeast Asia, too, is seeing platform-style players emerge that combine "multi-brand F&B groups + franchise operating know-how."
Takeaways for Korean HQs When choosing local partners, Korean headquarters should also consider alliances with groups that have multi-brand operating know-how, rather than a single master franchisee. Being able to tap into the group's integrated membership and data infrastructure is the decisive difference from a single partnership. |
8. Vietnam | Mixue Keeps Expanding in Vietnam With Its Low-Price Offensive
Chinese low-price ice cream and tea brand Mixue is rapidly adding stores in Vietnam, making it a hot topic in the local F&B industry. With low prices, an aggressive store opening strategy, and a brand image aimed at young people, it is densely expanding its network even into smaller provincial cities.
Some local café and dessert brands say they struggle to compete with Mixue on price amid rent and cost pressures, and in some areas there's even over-saturation, with "two or three Mixue stores on one block." The Southeast Asian push by Chinese franchises seemed to have slowed, but it's notable that it's spreading again in new formats.
Takeaways for Korean HQs It's time for Korean brands to re-examine their Southeast Asia expansion strategies. Rather than taking on low-price competition head-on, it's more realistic to build a non-price axis of competition through distinctive Korean menus and well-designed store experiences. |
9. Philippines | Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill Launches Tasting Menu to Celebrate Michelin Guide Listing
Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill in Pasay, Metro Manila, has unveiled a new tasting menu to celebrate its listing in the Michelin Guide Manila. The course, designed by British chef Gordon Ramsay's team, combines local Filipino ingredients with a British steakhouse style.
Though it's a high-priced course, it targets Manila's affluent residents and tourists with a "global chef brand + buzzworthy local hospitality" pitch, strengthening the city's image as a fine dining hub.
Takeaways for Korean HQs In the Philippine restaurant market as well, global chef brands land first as standalone restaurants and may later expand into second brands such as brunch and casual dining, making this a useful reference case for franchisor headquarters' premium brand strategies. |
This Week in Summary
Over the past seven days, the global restaurant and franchise market can be summed up in three keywords: regulation, M&A, and digital transformation. France's "burger tax" debate shows a trend toward tighter regulation aimed at large franchises. Meanwhile, Japan and Singapore are seeing active M&A that combines financial and operating capabilities, such as the Burger King and Creative Eateries acquisitions, and Taiwan is ramping up AI-based smart restaurant policies.
In China and Vietnam, chains like Xibei and Mixue are recalibrating their pricing and expansion strategies amid a consumer environment with extremely high price sensitivity.
Three Areas for Korean HQs to Review ① Regulatory risk — Review not just conditions at the time of entry but also future regulatory scenarios ② Digital capability — Go beyond POS and ERP and build up AI usage metrics aligned with policy standards ③ Price positioning — Compete on menu and experience differentiation, not low prices |
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