GEN Restaurant Group Inc

Company Overview

GEN Restaurant Group, Inc. is one of the largest Asian casual dining restaurant concepts by total revenue in the United States. We offer an extensive menu of traditional Korean and Korean-American food, including high-quality meats, poultry, and seafood, all at a superior value. Founded in 2011 by two Korean immigrants, since the opening of our first restaurant in September 2011 we have grown to 37 company-owned restaurants, as of December 31, 2023, located in California, Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada, Texas, New York and Florida. Our restaurants have modern decor, lively Korean pop music playing in the background and embedded grills in the center of each table. We believe we offer our customers a unique dining experience in which guests cook the majority of the food themselves, reducing the need for chefs and servers and providing a similar customer experience across the restaurants.

We expect to continue growing our number of restaurants in the future. Our new restaurants have historically generated average Payback Periods of approximately 1.7 years. Restaurants range in size from 4.7 thousand to 12 thousand square feet, and are typically located in high-activity commercial areas. “Payback Period” means the length of time, in years, required to recoup build-out costs after the restaurant’s opening date.

Our Strengths

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Unlimited Orders at One Affordable, All-Inclusive Price. Our guests can order unlimited quantities of food for a fixed price generally ranging from $19.95 to $21.99 for lunch and $28.99 to $30.95 for dinners as of December 31, 2023, except for $35.95 for dinner at the Miracle Mile at Las Vegas, NV location and $27.95 for lunch, $33.95 for regular dinner and $37.95 for late dinner at the Manhattan, NY location. Our affordable price points make our concept accessible to multiple demographics and allow our guests to discover a variety of traditional Korean and Korean-American fusion dishes at a fixed price compared to the a la carte pricing found at other casual dining restaurants.

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Efficient “Cook-It-Yourself” Business Model. Using our “cook-it-yourself” model, we have been able to operate our restaurants with no chefs and limited personnel needed to process orders in the kitchen. Our menu items come ready-to-serve from our suppliers, allowing us to quickly fill guest orders after a simple transfer from package to plate. This approach ensures consistent food quality across all of our restaurants and provides for more efficient operations than traditional restaurants, which in turn allows us to cater to high traffic levels. Additionally, because our guests serve as their own chefs, we believe our kitchens require a smaller percentage of our footprint than other casual dining restaurant concepts, enabling more space for guest seating.

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Strong Supplier Network Provides Foundation for Growth. During the fourth quarter of 2023 we entered into an agreement with Sysco Los Angeles, Inc., or Sysco, to purchase certain food products for a period of three years. We also utilize other suppliers for certain items.

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Large Community of Loyal Enthusiasts. Based in part on our online reviews, we believe we have attracted a passionate and loyal group of customers, including Millennial and Gen Z enthusiasts who enjoy trying new cuisines of various ethnic origins. We believe these “foodies” enjoy our diverse menu of flavorful Korean and Korean-American food, affordable prices points and differentiated dining ambience.

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Unique Guest Experience Drives Positive Customer Ratings. Many of our guests express their enthusiasm for our concept experience by rating and reviewing our restaurants online. As of February 12, 2024, we have a 4.0 and 4.2 average star rating on Yelp and Google.

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In-House Design and Fabrication Capabilities. Well-functioning ventilation systems are critical to Korean barbeque restaurant concepts due to the need to simultaneously ventilate each table. In order to ensure proper setup, many of our competitors rely on third-party contractors, who can be prohibitively expensive and require lengthy lead times. We take a different approach, designing and fabricating our ventilation systems in-house, which in turn provides us with greater control than our competition over quality, costs and lead time.

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An Inspirational Founder-led Management Team. Our team is led by experienced and passionate senior management who are committed to providing the highest quality service and experience for our guests.

Our Growth Strategies

Open Additional Restaurants in New and Existing Markets. Since opening our original restaurant in Tustin, California in 2011, we have successfully opened profitable new restaurants throughout Southern and Northern California, and in Nevada, Texas, Hawaii, Arizona, Florida, and New York. We intend to leverage our expertise opening new restaurants to expand further into new geographies with the same rigorous and thoughtful new site and restaurant build-out process that we have successfully demonstrated in the past. Prior to the pandemic, we opened four new restaurants in both 2018 and 2019. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we opened no new restaurants in 2020 and 2021. With COVID-19 restrictions eased, we have restarted our pipeline of new restaurants and during 2022 we opened three new restaurants in Webster, Texas, Las Vegas, Nevada and New York, New York.

During 2023, we opened six restaurants in: Cerritos, California (opened on April 4, 2023), Chandler, Arizona, (opened on June 1, 2023), Fort Lauderdale, Florida (opened on June 10, 2023), Westheimer (Houston), Texas (opened on October 26,2023), Kapolei, Hawaii (opened on November 18, 2023), and Arlington, Texas (opened on December 21, 2023).

We have signed eleven leases for new locations, of which we currently expect to open seven to eight additional locations during 2024, with the remainder in 2025. Beginning in 2025, we currently plan to open ten to twelve new restaurants annually in new and existing domestic markets. We expect to open restaurants in new markets in states such as Oregon, Georgia, Utah, Colorado, Virginia, and New Jersey, as well as in the District of Columbia. Our restaurants have historically generated average Payback Periods of approximately 1.7 years with average Net Build-Out Costs of approximately $1.9 million for nine new units opened in 2022 and 2023.

During 2022, we opened three restaurants with average Net Build-Out Costs of approximately $1.9 million. The last of the three restaurants opened in 2022 had Net Build-Out Costs of $2.6 million. During 2023, we opened six restaurants with average Net Build-Out Costs of approximately $2.1 million. Going forward, we are targeting average Net Build-Out Costs of less than $3.0 million with AUVs ranging from $4.0 to $5.0 million for our new restaurant units, resulting in a target Payback Period of less than 3 years, which may vary depending on the specific market. The combination of our strong expertise in constructing new restaurants and tremendous whites pace opportunity positions us well to expand our concept into new markets.

Increase Restaurant Sales and Profitability. We initiated modest price increases in the second half of 2021 and in 2022 with no discernable change in guest behavior. We plan to continue to analyze and monitor price receptivity from our customers, and we believe there may be additional opportunities to implement modest price increases in the future with no material impact on customer traffic. Additionally, our strong supply chain capabilities and ability to operate with a limited number of employees have allowed us to control our costs. We continually look to invest in new technologies through rigorous testing and analyses to further improve and maintain an optimal cost structure, as well as to enhance our dining experience.

Selectively Pursue Wholesale Opportunities. With the favorable pricing terms we have established with our suppliers and distributors, during the pandemic we were able to continue providing a limited number of guests with our high-quality meats by introducing temporary bulk purchase options in 21 of our restaurants. Considering the positive response from our guests, we plan to selectively pursue wholesale opportunities going forward. We have engaged with a national food retailers to offer our ready-to-serve meats. The COVID-19 pandemic served as an opportunity to not only assess the viability of a wholesale segment, but also to begin exploring other new service offerings we may be able into introduce to our existing business.

Restaurant Management

Restaurant Management and Employees. As of December 31, 2023, on average, each of our restaurants employed a total of 70 full-time and part-time employees who are managed by a General Manager. The actual number of personnel that work during a given shift varies depending on the day, as well as time. During any given shift, restaurants are typically staffed with one kitchen manager, two to four hosts, four to ten servers, four to five food preparers, one to two cashiers, two to three bussers, up to seven food runners, and three to four dishwashers.

Training and Employee Programs. To ensure a consistent and exceptional dining experience, we have established onboarding training programs for all of our restaurant employees. Employee training for restaurant managers typically requires approximately three to six months, while training for other restaurant employees ranges from 60 to 90 days. Our operating model, which consists of no chefs and a relatively small staff primarily responsible for serving food, leads to reduced complexity and time required for our training programs. When we staff a new restaurant preparing to open, we send a team of existing employees to the new restaurant to provide the training and to introduce and implant our cultural values. Our training programs for employees provide comprehensive guides specifically developed for each position.

Our Suppliers

We acquire certain food products and supplies from third-party vendors and suppliers, and we are dependent upon a few suppliers for certain specialized equipment utilized in our restaurants, such as the embedded grills in our tables. For this specialized equipment, we rely on Fast Fabrications as one of our primary suppliers. Pacific Global, a subsidiary of a related party, provided restaurant supplies such as tableware, napkins, soda, sauces for approximately 16.4% and 21.2% of total operating expenses in 2023 and 2022, respectively, and Wise Universal provided us with food products and supplies equaling approximately 21.3% and 32.5% of our total food and beverage costs in 2023 and 2022, respectively. Each of Fast Fabrications, Pacific Global and Wise Universal are controlled by parties affiliated with us. We do not currently have written contracts with any of our suppliers. See “Certain Relationships and Related Person Transactions” for additional information on our relationship with these suppliers.

Additionally, U.S. Foods, an unrelated third party, provides us with certain food products which in 2023 and 2022 amounted to approximately 36.0% and 57.6% of our total food and beverage costs, respectively. During the fourth quarter of 2023 we entered into an agreement with Sysco to purchase certain food products for a period of three years. Sysco accounted for approximately 15.1% of food costs for the year 2023.

Management Information and Systems

We use Revel for our point-of-sale (POS) system, a system designed for the restaurant industry. Our Revel POS system allows us to seamlessly track and monitor our sales, food and beverage costs and inventory levels. This system is integrated with the handheld tablets our staff use to take guest orders and process payments, and it includes customizable features which provide data that allow us to better understand our guest dining preferences. We use a combination of Automatic Data Processing, Inc. and Toast, Inc. software for our payroll and human resources systems. We have partnered with Yelp to allow our guests to check-in ahead of their visits in order reduce wait times they may otherwise encounter. We currently use QuickBooks for our accounting systems but may upgrade to another accounting system as we continue to grow the number of restaurants we operate. We rely on all of our third-party systems and application providers to protect the information of our customers and employees.

Our Industry

We believe that the unique, interactive culinary experience at our lively restaurants appeals to a vast segment of the population. This enables us to successfully compete with, and take share from, our competitors across the restaurant industry, particularly the chain restaurant industry, defined as restaurants where guests order while seated and pay after eating. We believe we will expand our market share by leveraging our scale and compelling value proposition that many smaller casual dining restaurant concepts are not able to replicate.

Growing Embrace of Korean Culture. The increasing awareness of Korean culture among all demographics, particularly among Millennial and Gen Z populations, is expected to significantly add to our growing following of guests. With the likes of Gangnam Style, a Korean song that became the first YouTube video to reach one billion views, as well as subsequent hits produced by up-and-coming Korean artists such as Blackpink, BTS and Girls’ Generation, Korean culture continues to become a global phenomenon that has gained immense popularity in recent years. The increasing number of viral music video hits, as well as other well-received Korean entertainment, including the recent Netflix survival drama television series, Squid Game, and the Academy award-winning Korean film, Parasite, have contributed to the tremendous growth of what is referred to as the “Hallyu wave.” According to the Korean Foundation, the “Hallyu wave,” which encompasses the increasing popularity and international spread of Korean food, language and culture since the 1990s, has amassed over 100 million fans across 109 countries, excluding South Korea, as of September 2020.

Competition

We compete primarily with casual dining concepts in the highly competitive and fragmented restaurant industry. Our competition includes a variety of small, local restaurants, medium-sized regional restaurants, and large national chains that primarily provide dine-in service. Within the casual dining category, we believe Asian restaurants, including Korean, Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese and Japanese concepts that often specialize in specific items or preparation methods, are among the least concentrated and most fragmented. We believe there is not a casual dining concept at scale that offers the same compelling value proposition and unique dining experience.

Human Capital Resources

We offer a diverse environment full of passionate and talented people. Our team members are collaborative and supportive, with a driving desire to make a distinctive mark in the restaurant industry. Our core values drive our people initiatives as they focus on mutual respect, teamwork, continuous improvement and learning, gratitude, a positive attitude, and passion to be the best in our business. We believe we attract and retain superior talent because we offer a challenging work environment with opportunities to make a difference in our company’s future. We work together as one team, with the single vision of making our company successful.

As of December 31, 2023, we had approximately 2,500 full-time and part-time employees. Approximately 32% of our workforce is female and 68% is male. Our senior leadership team (Vice President level and above) is 83% male and 17% female, while manager roles are approximately 66% male and 34% female. Our existing employees typically recruit new team members, although we may use outside recruiting support in selected circumstances.

Environmental Matters

We are subject to federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to environmental protection, including regulation of discharges into the air and water, storage and disposal of waste and clean-up of contaminated soil and groundwater. Under various federal, state and local laws, an owner or operator of real estate may be liable for the costs of removal or remediation of hazardous or toxic substances on, in or emanating from such property. Such liability may be imposed without regard to whether the owner or operator knew of, or was responsible for, the presence of such hazardous or toxic substances, and in some cases, we may have obligations imposed by indemnity provisions in our leases.

Government Regulation and Compliance

We are subject to various federal, state, and local regulations, including those relating to building and zoning requirements, public health and safety and the preparation and sale of food. The development and operation of restaurants depends to a significant extent on the selection and acquisition of suitable sites, which are subject to zoning, land use, environmental, traffic, and other regulations and requirements. Our restaurants are also subject to state and local licensing and regulation by health, sanitation, food and occupational safety, and other agencies, which regulation has increased in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. We may experience material difficulties or failures in obtaining the necessary licenses, approvals or permits for our restaurants, which could delay planned restaurant openings or affect the operations at our existing restaurants. In addition, stringent and varied requirements of local regulators with respect to zoning, land use, and environmental factors could delay or prevent development of new restaurants in particular locations.

Our operations are subject to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Act, which governs worker health and safety, as well as rules and regulations regarding the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act, which governs such matters as minimum wages and overtime, and a variety of similar federal, state and local laws (such as fair work week laws, immigration laws, various wage and hour laws, termination and discharge laws, and state occupational safety regulations) that govern these and other employment law matters. We may also be subject to lawsuits or investigations from our current or former employees, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Labor, or others alleging violations of federal and state laws regarding workplace and employment matters, discrimination and similar matters, and we have been a party to a number of such matters in the past. These lawsuits and investigations require significant resources from our senior management and can result in material fines, penalties and/or settlements, some or all of which may not be covered by insurance, as well as significant remediation efforts that may be costly and time consuming, and which we may not implement effectively.

Intellectual Property

We protect our intellectual property primarily through a combination of trademarks, domain names, and trade secrets. We have registered trademarks in the U.S. and internationally. We will continue to pursue additional trademark registrations to the extent we believe they would be beneficial and cost-effective. Our inner restaurant décor is covered by a trademark covering our signature white, brown, blue, cyan and silver colors, our white booth seating areas with brown wood accents and glass dividers, and our blue sconces and LED lighting, among other features.

We have procedures in place to monitor for potential infringement of our intellectual property, and it is our policy to take appropriate action to enforce our intellectual property, taking into account the strength of our claim, likelihood of success, cost, and overall business priorities.

Corporate Information

GEN Inc. was incorporated in Delaware on October 28, 2021 as a Delaware corporation. It had no business operations prior to our initial public offering in June 2023. In connection with the consummation of our initial public offering, GEN Inc. became the managing member of GEN LLC, which owns 37 restaurants and related subsidiaries. Our principal executive offices are located at 11480 South Street Suite 205, Cerritos, CA 90703 and our telephone number is (562) 356-9929.

Information About our Executive Officers

Jae Chang. Mr. Chang founded GEN by opening our first restaurant in September 2011 in Tustin, California and, since our formation in October 2021, he has served as our Co-Chief Executive and Director. Prior to founding GEN, Mr. Chang has been the owner, operator, and manager of multiple restaurant concepts since December 1999, including the Shabuya, Sumo, Octopus, H2O Sushi, and California Gogi brands. Mr. Chang received his Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Mr. Chang’s qualifications to serve on the Board include his extensive prior experience with our business as a co-founder and within the restaurant and hospitality industries, as well as his demonstrated business acumen, skills in entrepreneurship and focus on operational efficiency. Mr. Chang’s Board service also creates a direct, more open channel of communication between the Board and senior management.

David Kim. Mr. Kim joined GEN with Jae Chang shortly after the opening of our first restaurant in 2011 and, since our formation in October 2021, he has served as our Co-Chief Executive Officer and Director. Before founding GEN, Mr. Kim served as Chief Executive Officer of La Salsa, Inc., a fast casual Mexican restaurant chain, from July 2007 to September 2011. Mr. Kim also served as Chief Executive Officer of Baja Fresh Enterprises, another fast casual Mexican restaurant chain, from October 2006 to September 2011, and prior to that served as President of Caliber Capital Group, an equity investment firm focused on distressed companies, from 2005 to 2010. From August 2002 to September 2011, Mr. Kim was the managing member of CinnaWorks, LLC, a national owner of Cinnabon franchises, and from November 1994 to March 2016, he was the managing member of Sweet Candy, LLC, owner of the retail candy concept Sweet Factory.

From November 1994 to March 2016, Mr. Kim managed Golden Den Corp. and RD Restaurant Group, Inc., which owned Denny’s, Carl’s Jr. Golden Corral and Pick-Up Stix franchises. Mr. Kim is also owner, operator, and manager of several other concepts that are not all-you-can-eat. Mr. Kim has established the Kim Family Foundation, through which he supports various charitable causes related to scholastic achievement and leadership.

Mr. Kim’s qualifications to serve on the Board include his wealth of experience with our business as co-founder and within the restaurant industry, and his demonstrated business acumen and skills in entrepreneurship and business strategy. Mr. Kim’s Board service also creates a direct, more open channel of communication between the Board and senior management.

Thomas V. Croal. Mr. Croal has served as our Chief Financial Officer since July 2021. Prior to joining us, Mr. Croal served as Chief Financial Officer of Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, a non-profit organization focused on pancreatic cancer research, from January 2019 to July 2021. Mr. Croal also served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Sage Publications, Inc., a global independent publisher. Mr. Croal also served as Chief Financial Officer of PPONet, Inc., a preferred provider physicians network, from September 2004 to June 2005. Mr. Croal also served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Silverado Senior Living Holdings, Inc., an operator of senior housing communities, from June 2007 to September 2018. Mr. Croal held various positions at Insight Health Services Corp., a healthcare service provider, including Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, from September 1989 to March 2003. Mr. Croal was also previously a California Certified Public Accountant with Arthur Andersen & Co. Mr. Croal received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Loyola Marymount University.

Available Information

Our website is located at www.genkoreanbbq.com including an investor relations section in which we routinely post information, such as webcasts of quarterly calls and other investor events in which we participate or host, and any related materials. Information contained on our website or linked therein or otherwise connected thereto does not constitute part of and is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report.