Dolseong Dak

Dolseong Dak (Yeonseongi: 돌성닭, Dolseong Chicken) is a Gyunghwan fast-food restaurant chain currently headquartered in Bonam, Dolseong that specializes in Gyunghwan fried chicken. The restaurant was founded in July 7th, 1929 by Ban Ae-rak, an entrepreneur who began selling fried chicken in Bonam, Dolseong during the onset of the Great Depression. The first franchised restaurant opened in April 28th, 1943 in Neneshi, Busang under the name Dolseong Dak.

Dolseong Dak offers fried chicken, fried rice, dumplings, and pancakes during its early years. Later on, the restaurant expanded its menu to include international dishes such as chicken filet sandwiches and wraps, as well as side dishes such as fries, cheese balls, mashed potatoes, biscuits, and salad. Dolseong Dak is the largest fried chicken restaurant in Gyunghwa and Valeya and is among some of the largest fast food chains in the world.

Name
Dolseong Dak literally translates to 'Dolseong Chicken'. The name was coined by Kim Bak-chung, a friend of Ban and a co-founder of the first franchisee restaurant in Busang. According to Kim, the name would give the eastern consumers the exotic imagery and western hospitality of the Gyunghwan West.

History
In 1929, Ban Ae-rak took over a Hyu-il gas station outside of Anjin, Dolseong where he served meals to travelers with foods such as pancakes, dumplings, and fried chickens under the name Golden Diner (Gimgwa Eomshikjeom, 금과음식점). The Golden Diner gained some local popularity with travelers remarking on the taste and crispiness of the chickens. Despite the onset of the Escaric Market Crash and the Great Depression, Ban was able to make enough money to expand the gas station into having more restaurant space to seat 137 people instead of the original seating space of six people in 1933. Golden Diner was operated by him and his family members to keep cost low as the restaurant faced some financial difficulties during the Great Depression. The restaurant was vandalized in 1935 by rioters affiliated with the Socialist Worker's Party. During the Troubles, Ban closed down Golden Diner in 1937 and fled with his family eastward to Busang. The abandoned building, still bearing the Golden Diner logo, was destroyed by a fire in 1937. It wouldn't be until 1967 when the restaurant was restored and renovated by Ban Ae-rak's nephew Ban Jo-gu. It is currently preserved as a museum operated by the Dolseong Dak Corporation as the Ban Ae-rak Museum and Restaurant. Ban was unsuccessful in trying to rebound with his ventures in Busang until 1941 when he franchised his recipes over to a family friend and entrepreneur Kim Bak-chung based in Neneshi. Kim and Ban planned on featuring his recipes as promotional materials in Kim's restaurants with both agreeing to converting one of Kim's less performing diners into selling food made from his recipes. When discussing plans for the restaurant opening, Kim coined the name Dolseong Dak (Dolseong Chicken). For Kim, the name was a way of differentiating his restaurant from competitors; a product from Dolseong was exotic and evoked imagery of western hospitality associated with the Gyunghwan West. Kim also introduced the Family Pack which includes 12 pieces of chicken, a box of dumplings, a large cup of fried rice, and four small cups of pickled radishes in 1954.

By 1962, Dolseong Dak has over 500 locations, making it the largest fast food restaurant in the United Republics. Although the company has lost the title to Bao Hwangje just four years later, Dolseong Dak had diversified the Gyunghwan fast food industry already dominated by rice bowls and baozi by popularizing chicken. Ban retired from his position as CEO and was replaced by his nephew, Ban Jo-gu in 1965. Ban still holds a major influence in the company as quality controller and trademark, being the company spokesman until his passing in 1982. His promotional work made him a prominent figure in Gyunghwan cultural history. The company moved its headquarter from Neneshi, Busang to Bonam, Dolseong in 1967. Ban Jo-gu would continue on as CEO until 2008 when he passed away and was succeeded by Vice-Chairman Roh Moon as CEO.

The coming decades saw Dolseong Dak expanding throughout the world, first in 1978 when its first international location opening in Yorcke, Anglia. The early 80s saw Dolseong Dak's presence appearing throughout Valeya. Escar was the next market with locations popping up in Chanha and Yeongseon in 1988. Hyspania was the first country in Amphia to make a presence in 1991, followed by Zeeduyn and Redon in 84. DDC entered the Chiseian market in 1996 and Zusea in 1998. The first Dolseong Dak Yamataian location opened in 2018 with three locations found in immigrant communities. DDC was the second Gyunghwan chain to enter the growing Osovan market following Bao Hwangje in 2009 and 2010 with branches opening in Yaoso and Rhodanthian. Plans were made to open a location in Jyugoku but were scrapped in the aftermath of the 2011 coup de'tat of the capital city. Currently, the company officially states that once the situation in Jyugoku has stabilized, the abandoned plans may be revisited in the future.

Products
Dolseong Dak primarily sells Gyunghwan fried chickens with variations coming from seasonings and/or sauces. Fried rice and dumplings were also sold as companion sets to the chickens, sold as separate meal items or included in the Family Pack. As the company matured, new items were added to diversify the menu with the inclusion of sandwiches, fries, cheeseballs, iced drinks, and desserts. DDC has also partnered with domestic and foreign confectionary brands to sell certain items with their trademark in their menu such as Rotte's Choco Pie Shakes introduced in 1998 and Shipley's Donut Sandwich introduced in 2009.

New menu items are offered as limited times either due to the holidays or for the company to test out new products for eventual permanent stay such as fried chicken bao sliders or fried curry chickens. Whenever the company enters a new market from a new country, a new product in relations to the new country would be released temporarily in celebration, such as bibimbap from Yeongseon, shrimp tempuras from Yamatai, and pretzels and cheese dip from Zusea. Occasionally, some of the international items would be popular enough to remain permanently on the menu such as fried chicken banh mi from Dai Hoa, churros and chocolate dip from Hyspania, and tacos from Cartageña.