Article at a Glance

Dookki launched with an all-you-can-eat buffet concept targeting overseas markets from the outset, allowing customers to create their own tteokbokki using ingredients and sauces of their choice. After experiencing failure at its first Shanghai location that opened in 2015, Dookki shifted to Taiwan, another Chinese-speaking market, and achieved commercial success. Now operating 150 locations across eight countries, Dookki has established itself as a leading K-tteokbokki brand, and the key factors behind its success can be summarized as follows:

1. Diversifying ingredients to suit local tastes

2. Branding as an upscale Korean family restaurant

3. Granting full authority to local partners through master franchise agreements

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There is a restaurant with no chefs. That restaurant is “Dookki,” a tteokbokki franchise. Instead of chefs, the restaurant features a self- service bar stocked with various sauces, rice cakes, vegetables and noodles. Customers select their ingredients and sauces, bring them to their tables, and cook their own meals. For just 9,900won per adult, diners can create and enjoy unlimited servings of instant tteokbokki with their preferred ingredients and sauces.

Dookki, which started with the unique concept of all-you-can-eat instant tteokbokki, opened its first location in Anam-dong, Seongbuk District, Seoul, in December 2014 and expanded to 93 locations nationwide within two years. As of April 2023, there are 238 Dookki stores across South Korea. In 2019, total franchise sales exceeded 200 billion won. Headquarters revenue jumped from 5.8 billion won in 2015 to 28.8 billion won in 2019. This revenue came solely from supplying food ingredients without collecting royalties from franchisees, demonstrating how successful each franchisee’s business was.

Another noteworthy aspect is Dookki’s overseas growth trajectory. After experiencing failure at its first overseas location in Shanghai, China, which opened in 2015, Dookki shifted to Taiwan, another Chinese-speaking market, and achieved commercial success. Since then, it has expanded into other Southeast Asian countries including Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, accelerating its overseas expansion. As of April 2023, Dookki operates a total of 150 locations across eight countries, including its Sydney, Australia, location that opened earlier this year.

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