NeNe Chicken Franchise Cost: Korea vs Overseas (2026)
NeNe Chicken, founded and franchising since 1999 by Hyein Foods and headquartered in Seoul, is one of South Korea's largest fried-chicken franchises [1]. The chain counts roughly 1,100 stores in total — about 950 in South Korea and around 150 outlets across 13 overseas markets, all built out under a master-franchise model [1]. What sets NeNe apart from most Korean chicken brands is its home-market fee structure: in Korea it advertises no franchise fee and no royalty, a model that looks very different from how the same brand is franchised abroad. This guide keeps the two separate, because the disclosed numbers are not comparable line-for-line.
NeNe Chicken at a glance
- Founded and franchising since 1999 by Hyein Foods; headquartered in Seoul [1]
- Roughly 1,100 stores in total, with about 150 overseas across 13 countries [1]
- International expansion runs through country-level master franchises [1]
- In Australia and New Zealand the master franchise is held by SGX-listed ST Group, which entered Australia in 2015 (40+ outlets) and opened its first New Zealand store in Auckland in September 2023 [4]
Korea franchise costs
In its home market, NeNe advertises an unusually lean fee structure. The brand's official Korean site states there is no franchise fee, no royalty, no training fee, and no supervision fee [1] — so the disclosed royalty is 0% [1] and the initial franchise fee is ₩0 [2]. Instead of up-front franchise charges, the Korean model is built around the central supply of ingredients and materials.
The startup outlay is still real. Per the KFTC information disclosure (정보공개서) figures reported for 2021, a 12-pyeong store costs from ₩80,910,000 [2]. Counting store-related costs, the headline estimate rises to ₩107,910,000 [2]. Neither figure includes the premises lease deposit or key money (권리금), which in Korea is often the single largest outlay and varies enormously by neighborhood.
Overseas franchise costs
Abroad, NeNe is franchised through master franchisees, and the fee model is conventional rather than fee-free. The clearest published figures come from Australia, where SGX-listed ST Group runs the brand [4]. There, the initial franchise fee is disclosed at A$40,000 to A$50,000 plus GST [3], with a total initial investment of A$350,000 to A$650,000 [4]. Ongoing terms include a royalty of 6% [3] and a marketing levy of 3% [3] — both charged as a percentage of sales, and both absent from the Korean model above.
Korea vs overseas: side by side
| Cost item | South Korea | Overseas (Australia) |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | ₩0 [2] | A$40,000–A$50,000 + GST [3] |
| Total initial investment | ₩80,910,000 [2] to ₩107,910,000 [2] | A$350,000 [4] to A$650,000 [4] |
| Royalty | 0% [1] | 6% [3] |
| Advertising / marketing fee | Not listed in the sourced disclosure | 3% [3] |
| Disclosure basis | 2021 KFTC disclosure [2]; no-fee model per current official site [1] | 2026 Australian franchise figures [3][4] |
How to read these numbers
Three things before comparing across the table:
- The scopes differ. The Korean startup figure is a 12-pyeong store and excludes the premises lease deposit and key money [2]; the Australian range covers a different, larger format entirely. Neither number is "everything you will spend."
- The fee models differ. Korea is advertised as no-franchise-fee, no-royalty [1], while the overseas figures carry a 6% royalty and a 3% marketing levy [3]. That structural difference — not just currency — is why the two columns cannot be added together or averaged.
- Currency and vintage differ. The Korean figures are in won from 2021 disclosure data [2]; the no-fee statement is from the current official site [1]; the Australian figures are in Australian dollars from 2026 [3][4]. Convert at today's exchange rate yourself rather than trusting any published conversion, and re-check each figure against its filing year.
Where to confirm the numbers
Before making any decision, confirm every figure directly in the current disclosure you are actually offered. In Korea, pull NeNe Chicken's latest 정보공개서 from the KFTC franchise disclosure system and read the fee and initial-investment items; overseas, request the local master franchisee's disclosure document and franchise agreement — in Australia, that partner is ST Group. 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 placed in front of you.
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.