Something to cluck about: 24 Chicken opens 50th store in Bacoor
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In 2017, three friends decided to offer fried chicken that was a cut above the rest. Inspired by their love for Korean fried chicken, Mark Gerald S. Ong (OMG), Jeff Derrick Sy, and Samuel Jefferson Uy decided to open a chicken concept that served delicious, well cooked, well-seasoned and high-quality food at affordable prices.
The three entrepreneurial millennials opened their first 24 Chicken restaurant on Leon Guinto Street in Manila in 2017, and they already had six branches by March 12, 2020, when the Covid pandemic lockdowns were enforced. While other establishments were hit hard, 24 Chicken grew to 22 branches in total by the end of 2021, having become a go-to for deliveries of comforting flavored boneless fried chicken for many households. This July, the trio opened their 50th store in Bacoor, Cavite.
Jesse Bustos
Boneless happiness
The 24 Chicken menu offers crunchy bites of fried chicken, with creative flavors that hit different customer cravings. These include the bestselling Jack Daniels with its sweet and savory sauce; the milky and cheesy Snow Cheese; Garlic flavor; and the cheesy-sweet 24 Cheddar. For the ones who like it hot—the boneless goodness of their chicken with the spicy-sweet Yangnyeom Korean sauce can even be made hotter if you order the Yangnyeom X2, for double the spice.
Large orders of 14 pieces can be customized to half-half or two flavors of seven pieces each in one box, and for those dining solo, they also have 2- and 3-piece rice meals in choices of plain rice or kimchi rice. To complete the happiness, there are sides of kimchi and Cajun fries.
Satisfy your cravings with 24 Chicken’s fantastic flavors: Yangnyeom, Jack Daniels, Snow Cheese, and 24 Cheddar.
Jesse Bustos
They have also introduced seasonal chicken flavors such as the Truffle Mayo, which is a creamy mayo sauce with a hint of truffle flavor. With the restaurant’s success also comes 24 Chicken merch, featuring their clucky-plucky mascot Koko.
Mindful growth
Co-founder OMG sat down with PhilSTAR LIfe at the Bacoor branch opening, and amid the cacophonous sounds of eager customers and counter call-outs for ready orders, he shares the secrets of their success. “The vision of the company is our guideline. It is to become globally recognized and organized, following our mission to serve the best-tasting Korean fried chicken and to become one of the best employers in the community. Our intention is transparency, which helps build trust and confidence among the consumers and the people we call family.”
Even with 50 branches, the three co-founders are hands-on in the business. OMG says they came early to the Bacoor branch to help set-up for the opening ceremony. This harks back to the time they dodged guards and CCTV cameras to promote their very first branch in Manila. He recalls, “We would go into condominium units in the area, slipping flyers under doors to attract customers. When we started out, while going through our challenges, hindi namin inakala that we will reach 50 branches. Wala kami in-expect. We just focused on our goal and our mission and vision to survive the challenges we go through. Hanggang ngayon, tuloy-tuloy lang, trabaho lang. We work hard to keep the trust of our customers and our staff.”
with their local partner and Bacoor branch staff take a pose with Koko.
Jesse Bustos
Even when they go on trips, work is still on their minds. “We don’t go out just for leisure or to enjoy. When we travel to Korea, Japan, or Thailand, we are always looking for new ideas. To become successful, you need to continuously learn, and you also need to educate. We share our learnings with our young Millennials and Gen Z staff, so they can also grow.”
Being friends has also helped in their entrepreneurial journey, he says. “A lot of people say businesses that are started by friends only last for two to three years. We are now on our 7th year, and I think it is our dynamics and respect for each other that has helped. Being younger, we are also flexible and more resilient.”
At present, they have around 33 branches that are company-owned, and the rest have local partners. “We tried out having local partners in smaller cities such as Tacloban, Palo, and Koronadal, then when we became more confident, we started opening in bigger cities with other local partners as well. What we want to make sure is that the quality remains consistent, from our customer service, hygiene and cleanliness, and to the taste and quality of the products. This expansion and the good reception we have in all our branches just proves that our prices are still affordable and the 24 Chicken taste is well suited for all Filipinos in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao,” OMG says.
They are also updating older branches to keep up with the new ones and improving the system to ensure everything flows smoothly. Their future target is to open branches overseas. “The vision of the company is to become a globally recognized brand. Mabigat, nakakatakot, pero hindi malabo,” he smiles.
For enterprising youth who want to grow their business, OMG advises, “Focus. As humans, we all dream of something. But you must aim for it, plan it properly, and take action. That’s because, without action, everything is hallucination.”
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Editor's note: BrandedUp is designed to provide you with insightful, inspiring, and educational content created by PhilSTAR L!fe in collaboration with brands like 24 Chicken.