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CU Convenience Stores to Debut in Hawaii This October

Under a master franchise agreement, CU will blend Korean ready-to-eat meals with local favorites through a hybrid retail model featuring self-checkout to cater to Hawaii’s tourist-driven market.

This file photo provided by BGF Retail Co. shows a CU convenience store in Seoul. (Yonhap)
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Overview

  • BGF Retail signed a master franchise agreement with CU Hawaii LLC, set up by WKF Inc., to launch its first U.S. store in October 2025.
  • The Hawaii debut makes CU the first South Korean convenience chain to enter the U.S. market, targeting over 10 million annual visitors and a diverse local population.
  • The chain will introduce Korean staples such as gimbap and instant ramyeon cooking stations alongside fusion items like poke and loco moco to suit regional tastes.
  • Stores will deploy retail technologies including self-checkout zones and optimized layouts under a hybrid model combining ready-to-eat meals and grocery selections.
  • BGF Retail currently operates 680 CU outlets across Mongolia, Malaysia and Kazakhstan and plans to add 500 more stores in Mongolia by year-end plus 500 each in Malaysia and Kazakhstan by 2028 and 2029.