GOPIZZA rides K-wave with street food, dessert push in India

It plans to enter North and West India in the next two quarters.

GOPIZZA is accelerating its Indian expansion by branching out to desserts and street food, with a plan to open 100 outlets that feature a complete Korean food ecosystem by year-end.

The South Korean pizza chain recently launched Gochujang, which introduces Indian customers to Korean street food like tteokbokki, corn dogs, and ramen. They will also get desserts like twisted doughnuts and a fish-shaped pastry filled with sweetened red bean paste under their Dalkomi brand.

“We are actually growing these brands independently as verticals, but they're physically located together,” Jay Lim, founder and global CEO at GOPIZZA, told QSR Media. “So we make synergies together.”

Mahesh Reddy, CEO at GOPIZZA India, said they plan to add more branches in Bangalore, Chennai, and Hyderabad. “After the South, we'll be entering the North and the West markets—that's the plan for the next two quarters.”

Dalkomi operates two outlets and a separate Gochujang store, whilst GOPIZZA, known for its single-serve pizzas, runs 63 locations across the country.

Reddy said standalone outlets are as small as 100 square feet and as big as 500 square feet for co-branded locations in malls, high streets, and airports.

The pivot is driven in part by demand from Indian consumers and commercial landlords who see Korean food as a rising trend. The company's response is not a themed food court but a “three-in-one” Korean food hub.

“Being Korean is a privilege, and it’s a selling concept at the moment,” Lim said. “We are lucky that we have already established ourselves as a pizza chain. And now, we're adding these two new portfolios to our existing legacy.”

Internationally, GOPIZZA is eyeing several high-growth Southeast Asian markets. It has just signed a master franchise deal in Malaysia, with branch openings slated this year.

Expansion to Mongolia is also planned, and the company is scouting for master franchise partners in Vietnam and the Philippines—two of its priority markets in the next year or so. “The Philippines is actually one, if not the top three markets that we are really excited about,” Lim said.

GOPIZZA, which operates in several countries including South Korea, India, Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia, is positioning itself as a lower-labour, tech-driven alternative to legacy quick-service restaurants, capitalising on the Korean cultural momentum.

“We are a new brand, so we need a long runway for growth,” Lim said. “That’s why we try to target India and high-growth Southeast Asian markets.”