What Seoul Garden is
Seoul Garden is a Korean BBQ and buffet restaurant chain that has operated in Malaysia since 1993. The brand is owned by Seoul Garden Hotels & Resorts, which also operates Sizzler and other casual-dining brands in Malaysia. Seoul Garden pioneered the "all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ" concept in Malaysia, with rotating ingredient belts, grill-at-table cooking, and a wide menu of marinated meats, vegetables, and side dishes.
The chain operates around 90 outlets in Malaysia, primarily in mid-to-large shopping malls. The model is the family / group dining destination — birthdays, gatherings, weekend meals.
Real cost to open a Seoul Garden franchise in Malaysia
- Initial franchise fee: RM 80,000 - 150,000 - Fit-out + equipment (full kitchen + grill tables + ventilation): RM 600,000 - 1,200,000 - Rent + working capital: RM 400,000 - 1,200,000 - Total realistic cash required: RM 1,000,000 - 2,500,000
The variation is mostly format: mall anchor (3,000+ sq ft) at the high end; smaller mall outlets in tier-2 cities at the low end.
What the ongoing fees look like
- Royalty: 5-6% of gross revenue - Marketing fund: 2-3% of gross revenue - Term: 7-10 years, renewable - Supply: signature marinades, sauces, and a portion of the meat come from Seoul Garden's central supply chain; the rest is operator-sourced
What owners actually say
- Best case: a flagship mall anchor in a tier-1 mall can gross RM 200,000-400,000/month (the model is high-volume). Net RM 25,000-60,000/month. - Average case: a smaller mall outlet in a tier-2 city, RM 100,000-200,000/month gross. Net RM 10,000-25,000/month. - Worst case: the modern casual-dining market is brutally competitive. Independent Korean BBQ, all-you-can-eat concepts, and other family-dining chains all fight for the same weekend crowd. A weak location can fall below RM 80,000/month gross.
The recurring owner concern: the model depends on volume. Margins are thin (10-15% on food cost), so any drop in foot traffic hits the bottom line hard.
The honest case for and against
For: - Largest Korean BBQ / buffet brand in Malaysia - Strong family-dining positioning with multi-decade recognition - High-volume model works in flagship mall locations - Long-term contract (7-10 years) provides operational stability
Against: - RM 1M-2.5M entry cost excludes most aspiring owners - 7-10 year term is a serious commitment - Volume-dependent model is sensitive to mall foot traffic - Operational complexity (full kitchen, ventilation, large staff) is significant
If you want a Korean BBQ or buffet concept
A Korean BBQ or buffet concept is one of the highest-capex plays in F&B. For most aspiring owners, a different kind of build fits better:
- A focused Korean street-food concept you can test in a single location for RM 50,000-100,000 - A small custom ordering + kitchen-display system that makes the operation run without a manager - A community-led brand (delivery, WhatsApp, social) that scales without the franchise-fee overhead
That's the kind of build our team does. And once the brand has traction, [pitchdeck.my](/browse) is where you raise capital for the second and third outlet.
This page is informational and is not affiliated with Seoul Garden. Seoul Garden is a trademark of Seoul Garden Hotels & Resorts.