South Korea’s CJ Foods has brought its Bibigo brand to India through Bibigo Bapsang, a restaurant chain run by its exclusive operating partner GTGO, which also runs GOPIZZA, Gochujang and Dalkomi. GTGO will operate and scale the outlets.
Three outlets are planned in Bengaluru in dine in and food court formats, with the first already open and the other two due by the end of 2026. GTGO plans to spend about ₹1 crore on each of the first three stores. The menu covers rice bowls, bibimbap, meal sets and Korean fried chicken, aimed at Gen Z diners.
GTGO runs about 60 outlets across Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Anantapur. It earned about ₹75 crore last year and is targeting ₹100 crore in 2026. It plans about 15 more outlets by December and 100 by June 2027, with Mumbai and Delhi NCR next. It is raising ₹100 crore to ₹250 crore, with 50 to 70 percent to be spent in India, and is looking at a listing in about three years.
GTGO co founder and CEO Mahesh Reddy said Bengaluru diners are quick to try new food, and the stores are a step towards making Korean food an everyday choice in India. He added that the company is focused on profitability rather than outlet count. GTGO founder and CEO Jae Won Lim called India GTGO’s most important market and said the restaurants will build awareness of Bibigo ahead of a possible move into packaged food.
Market Research Outlook: Korean food is moving from novelty to mainstream among young urban Indians, helped by K dramas and K pop. Using restaurants to build the brand before launching packaged products is a low risk way for CJ Foods to test demand. It adds another global cuisine player to India’s crowded food services market.
