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CU becomes first Korean convenience store brand to enter U.S. market with Hawaii store

Published: 13 Nov. 2025, 17:07 Updated: 13 Nov. 2025, 17:43

BGF Retail Vice Chairman Hong Jung-kook, second from left, and employees at CU Downtown in Hawaii pose for a commemorative photo at the CU Downtown branch in Hawaii on Nov. 12. [BGF RETAIL]

CU, a Korean convenience store chain, opened its first U.S. location in Hawaii on Wednesday, marking the first time a Korean convenience store brand has entered the U.S. market.

BGF Retail, the operator of CU, called the move “extremely meaningful,” as the United States is “the birthplace of convenience stores.”

BGF Retail established a Hawaiian subsidiary in May and signed a master franchise agreement with local firm WKF. Under the agreement, BGF grants WKF the rights to use its brand and operate stores in Hawaii in exchange for royalties.

The first store, CU Downtown, is located in Honolulu’s central business district, an area frequented by office workers, hotel guests and locals, and spans about 231.4 square meters (2,490 square feet).

The store features foods that highlight CU’s Korean identity. Korean instant foods, such as ramyeon (instant noodles), gim bugak (crispy seaweed snacks), instant rice and dosirak (boxed Korean meals), are prominently displayed. Popular Korean products, like Yonsei Dairy's cream buns, knotted donuts and fruit-flavored highballs, are also available, along with those from CU’s private brand, “PBICK.”

A K-beauty section sells more than 40 Korean cosmetics, including face masks, sunscreen and lip tints.

The store also offers a glimpse of Korean culture. Customers can cook their instant noodles or take photos in a photo booth at the store's “Han River Ramyeon” corner, or they can browse the K-beauty section, which sells more than 40 Korean cosmetics from face masks to sunscreens and lip tints.

Hawaiian elements are incorporated into the store's design as well, with art by renowned local artist Sig Zane featured throughout the store.

Visitors line up to enter the CU Downtown branch in Hawaii on Nov. 12. [BGF RETAIL]

CU said the store's grand opening drew large crowds, with long lines forming outside.

BGF Retail aims to open 50 stores in Hawaii over the next three years.

“Based on the brand power and systematic franchise system we’ve built over the past 30 years, we are excited to bring Korean flavors, culture and the innovative convenience store experience to Hawaii,” said BGF Retail Vice Chairman Hong Jung-kook, who attended the opening ceremony.

CU’s expansion into the United States is part of a broader push by Korean convenience store brands to enter overseas markets amid a slowdown in domestic growth and rising global interest in Korean products.

CU currently operates 749 stores in Mongolia, Malaysia and Kazakhstan. GS25 has 677 stores in Vietnam and Mongolia, and a company spokesperson said further international expansion is in the works. Emart24, a later entrant to the global market, operates 103 stores in Malaysia, eight in Cambodia and one in India.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY LIM SUN-YOUNG [[email protected]]