Goobne Chicken Franchise Cost: US vs Korea
Goobne Chicken, founded in 2005 and operated by GN Food from its headquarters in Seoul's Gangseo-gu district, is one of South Korea's larger chicken franchises, built around oven-roasted chicken rather than the deep-fried style common to the category. The brand counts roughly 1,118 stores in total, including about 45 outlets across 10 overseas markets [3]. If you are comparing Korean chicken franchises, Goobne publishes cost information under two very different regulatory systems: the US Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) and Korea's KFTC franchise disclosure registry. This guide lays out what each discloses — and why the two markets are not directly comparable.
Goobne at a glance
- Founded 2005; operated by GN Food, headquartered in Seoul (Gangseo-gu) [3]
- Roughly 1,118 stores in total, with about 45 overseas across 10 countries [3]
- International expansion runs mainly through master franchise agreements [3]
- Notable overseas deals: a 2023 US master franchise with Texas-based Dream Associates, a 2020 Singapore master franchise (first store at Great World City), and a 2024 Philippines entry at BGC in Manila [3]
US franchise costs
In the United States, Goobne's costs come from its 2022 US FDD, filed under the entity Favor 46, Inc. [2]. That document discloses a total initial investment ranging from $300,000 [2] to $566,000 [2] — a spread that typically reflects differences in location size, market, and build-out condition, so where a specific project lands depends heavily on real-estate and construction quotes.
The initial franchise fee is disclosed at $35,000 [2] in the same 2022 filing. Because these figures come from a 2022 document, confirm the current fee and investment range in the brand's latest FDD before relying on them. Ongoing royalty and advertising-fund percentages are not cited here; those terms appear in Items 6 and 11 of the current FDD and should be read directly from that document.
Korea franchise costs
In Korea, franchise costs are disclosed through the KFTC's mandatory information disclosure system (정보공개서). Per the disclosure figures reported for Goobne, the domestic franchise fee (가맹비) is ₩5,500,000 [1], with a separate training fee (교육비) of ₩2,200,000 [1] listed as its own line item.
Total startup cost in Korea is disclosed at ₩92,460,000 [1], and — critically — this figure excludes real estate: the premises deposit and key money (권리금), which in Korea are often the single largest outlay and vary enormously by neighborhood, are not included. This summary does not state the disclosure year, so treat the vintage as unconfirmed; the year Goobne began domestic franchising is likewise not listed in the sourced disclosures.
US vs Korea: side by side
| Cost item | United States (2022 FDD) | South Korea (KFTC disclosure) |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $35,000 [2] | ₩5,500,000 [1] |
| Separate training fee | Not itemized here | ₩2,200,000 [1] |
| Total initial investment (low) | $300,000 [2] | ₩92,460,000 [1] |
| Total initial investment (high) | $566,000 [2] | Not separately disclosed |
| Disclosure basis | 2022 US FDD (Favor 46, Inc.) [2] | KFTC disclosure, year not specified [1] |
How to read these numbers
Three caveats before comparing across the table:
- The scopes differ. The Korean startup figure of ₩92,460,000 [1] excludes the real-estate deposit and key money; US FDD Item 7 ranges also treat real estate variably. Neither number is "everything you will spend."
- Currency and format differ. Convert at current exchange rates yourself rather than trusting any published conversion, and remember Korean stores are typically smaller delivery-oriented formats while US builds are often larger dine-in or quick-service footprints — a structural reason the US totals ($300,000 [2] to $566,000 [2]) run higher than the Korean startup figure.
- Vintages differ. The US figures are from a 2022 filing [2]; the Korean disclosure summary does not state its year [1]. Figures change with each annual filing, so re-check both against the latest documents.
Other markets
Beyond the US and Korea, Goobne expands mainly through master-franchise partners [3] — across Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines), Greater China (Hong Kong, Macau, China), Japan, Australia, and North America [3]. Costs for those master- or sub-franchise arrangements are negotiated case by case and are not published in the disclosures cited here.
How to verify
Before making any decision, confirm every figure directly in the franchisor's current disclosure document: in the United States, request the latest Goobne FDD and read Items 5-7 for fees and initial investment; in Korea, pull GN Food's current 정보공개서 from the KFTC franchise disclosure system. Third-party summaries — including this guide — can lag the most recent filing, and the only binding numbers are those in the disclosure document and franchise agreement you are actually offered.
Figures are historical, come from the named source, and are not a promise or projection of your results. Costs and outcomes vary by market, site and operator.
Sources
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This website is not an offer to sell a franchise. We are an independent consultancy, not a franchisor, and we do not offer or sell franchises. A franchise is offered only through the franchisor's own disclosure document in jurisdictions where such documents are required. Investment figures are compiled from the named public sources; costs and results vary.