Bonchon, a global leader in Korean fried chicken, is celebrating Women’s History Month with a trailblazing U.S. leadership team. Bonchon U.S. executives in many key business units are women who apply their diverse backgrounds for the good of the business, people, and guests.

Bonchon U.S. powerhouse women leaders include:

  • Suzie Tsai – Chief Executive Officer
  • Amanda Millikan – Senior Vice President of Development
  • Susan Elbedeiwy – Senior Vice President of Operations
  • Carrie Goff – Vice President of Human Resources
  • Toni Carpenter – Vice President of Marketing

“Bonchon connects people with great Korean food around the globe, and our U.S. corporate leadership team uniquely relates to our diverse group of franchisees and guests,” says Tsai.

The brand is rapidly accelerating in the U.S. with 40 new stores in the pipeline for 2024 and more than 25 new franchise partners joining the Bonchon family.

Tsai joined Bonchon U.S. in August 2023 as Chief Growth Officer and was appointed Chief Executive Officer two months later. She is unabashedly blazing trails as a woman of color in a restaurant industry executive leadership position.

“When I joined Bonchon, I looked beyond my role and started looking at the business as a whole,” Tsai adds. “I spoke up about where I saw our biggest opportunities, where we were lacking, and where we needed to fine tune. I really wanted the business to get better and maximize its potential in bringing great food to people.”

Bonchon U.S. primarily has individual franchisees who run their restaurants and make exceptional food every day with the pride of a small business. In addition to her business acumen and restaurant industry experience, Tsai’s personal history of immigrating as a teenager from South Korea and seeing her parents start businesses in the U.S. uniquely links her to Bonchon franchisees.

“Every woman on our leadership team brings unique experiences and strengths to the table,” says Tsai. “Together we are building a Bonchon culture where people can genuinely connect, collaborate, and celebrate one another. Ultimately, these values help us to naturally do what’s right for our team members and franchise partners.”

ABOUT BONCHON

South Korea-born Bonchon, which translates as “my hometown,” was established in the United States in 2006. Known for its hand-battered, double-fried, crazy crispy Korean fried chicken, Bonchon sets out to have its fans around the world “Crunch Out Loud”. The brand continues to grow in popularity and has earned several accolades including #6 on Fast Casual Magazine’s 2023 Top 100 Movers & Shakers. Bonchon has more than 400 restaurants across eight countries. For more information, visit bonchon.com. To learn more about franchise opportunities, visit franchising.bonchon.com. Follow Bonchon on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Tik Tok, X, and YouTube.