Staffing

Bonchon promotes chief growth officer to CEO

Photo: Bonchon

January 18, 2024

Bonchon has named former Chief Growth Officer Suzie Tsai as CEO of its U.S. business. She brings over 25 years of marketing and branding leadership experience with major brands including On The Border Mexican Grill and Cantina, Chili's Grill & Bar, KidZania and Verizon. Bryan Shin will focus on global expansion as International CEO and Group CFO.

"It is an honor for me to lead Bonchon at this pivotal moment in its history and with a brand I feel personally connected," Tsai said in a company press release. "Like Bonchon, I was born in South Korea and moved to America. Bonchon continues to evolve and strengthen critical elements in our offerings, from menu and technology, to store formats that reach our customers when and where they get that one-of-a-kind Bonchon craving. We look forward to breaking into new territories and exploring possibilities in the years to come."

Founded in Busan, South Korea in 2002, Bonchon first opened in the U.S. in New York City in 2006, and is on its way to growing from 130 to 500 U.S. locations and 1,000 locations worldwide in the next five years. In 2023, it continued expansion within existing markets such as Chicago, Colorado Springs, Denver, Houston, Nashville, New York City, Raleigh and Washington, D.C. It also debuted its first restaurant in France, added two ghost kitchens and opened its first hotel location in 2023. Restaurants in Spain and Taiwan are also underway.