Jensen Huang's unplanned chimaek outing sends BBQ chicken chain's US arm into marketing overdrive

The US arm of Korean fried chicken chain BBQ has jumped on a marketing opportunity after Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang made an unannounced late-night stop at one of its Seoul branches following a samgyeopsal and soju dinner with South Korean business leaders.

Genesis BBQ's US subsidiary posted on its official social media accounts Tuesday, local time, urging American customers to try "the Korean-style chicken Jensen Huang enjoyed in Korea and that has been spreading online," adding that pickup and delivery were available at nearby locations.

The post included photos of Huang eating chicken at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul during a Doosan Bears game, as well as images of the crowd gathered outside BBQ's Hongdae branch in Mapo-gu, where he had joined a second round of drinks with Korean business chiefs.

Also edited into the post were a shot of Huang pointing at chicken inside the restaurant and his autograph, written in gold, reading "Jensen ♡ BBQ."

On June 5, Huang visited the Hongdae branch with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and Naver Chairman Lee Hae-jin, where the group reportedly ordered eight whole chickens — including Golden Olive Chicken and Golden Olive Half-and-Half — along with Terra draft beer, BBQ Lemon Boy drinks, and snacks including dried pollack, fried squid and tteokbokki, a spicy rice cake dish.

Huang drew further attention on June 7 when he threw the ceremonial first pitch at a Doosan Bears home game and ordered 113 pieces of BBQ chicken for the occasion.

BBQ operates more than 700 overseas locations across 57 countries, including around 250 in the United States.

Online commenters reacted with humor, with some writing, "Please deliver one to Arkansas," "He tells everyone who will listen," and "Those in the know already know."

BBQ has also launched two limited-edition combo sets built around the items Huang ordered: the "AI Hwang-ol Set" and the "AI First Pitch Set."

The AI Hwang-ol Set pairs Golden Olive Chicken with complimentary french fries and two Lemon Boy drinks, while the AI First Pitch Set bundles Crunchy Boneless Cracker chicken with two cream cheese balls and two Lemon Boy drinks at no extra charge. Both sets are available through June 24.

BBQ described the visit as a "golden match" endorsed by an unexpected VIP guest. The June 5 stop at the Hongdae branch was reportedly impromptu — even Genesis BBQ's management was unaware it was happening.

The branch has since been dubbed a pilgrimage site for K-chicken fans. Sales over the June 6–8 period rose more than 20 percent compared with the same days the previous week.

The chicken Huang ordered at the Jamsil stadium branch on June 7 was the Crunchy Boneless Cracker. He was also quoted as saying, "There is nothing better than chimaek" — the Korean combination of chicken and beer.

젠슨황 선택 그대로…BBQ, ‘AI 황올·시구 세트’ 내놨다

https://biz.heraldcorp.com/article/10768100