Bonchon workers pose in front of Bonchon’s 20th Virginia store. Provided.
A pair of South Korean-born fast casual brands — Bonchon and Tous les Jours — are expanding via shopping centers in Virginia.
Bonchon opened the state’s 20th locations Monday in Virginia Beach’s Hilltop West Shopping Center, and the Virginia Gateway shopping center in Gainesville has welcomed Tous les Jour’s third Virginia-based unit.
“Virginia clearly has a lot of love for Bonchon and I am happy to be able to continue to grow this amazing brand by bringing it to the Virginia Beach community,” Bonchon franchisee Manish Singh said in a company press release. “Our location is the perfect spot for locals or tourists. We hope to see even more people discover the flavors and crunch that make our fried chicken so special.” Singh’s business partners include Meenal Singh and Sunny and Swati Trehan, who own the Norfolk Bonchon location.
Founded in 2002, by Jinduk Seo Jinduk, Bonchon’ has over 390 locations worldwide with 120 locations in the U.S.
First-time Tous les Jours franchisee Sung Dong Oh, along with partners Young Dong Oh and Yosoon Lee, are behind the French-inspired bakery’s latest expansion in Virginia.
“We were first introduced to Tous les Jours through a mutual friend, and we are eager to introduce the concept to the Gainesville community, especially since there isn’t another bakery cafe chain around that matches the brand’s commitment to serving fresh flavors and delivering a first-rate guest experience,” Lee said in a company press release.
The chain, founded in 1997, by CJ Foodville, has over 80 U.S.-based locations and nearly 1,700 global bakeries.
