Genesis BBQ Group announced on Wednesday that its BBQ brand secured the 8th position overall in YouGov’s Emerging Restaurant Brands in the U.S. 2026 ranking.
BBQ is the only South Korean restaurant brand to make it into the top 10 list.
YouGov, a research firm founded in the UK in 2000, is a trusted survey partner for major global media outlets, including CBS News, The Times, and The Economist.
The survey was conducted from July 15 to August 2, targeting a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults. It assessed consumer perceptions and evaluations of emerging brands across various sectors of the U.S. food service market, including restaurants, quick-service restaurants (QSR), fast casual establishments, bakeries, and beverage outlets.
Initially, the national awareness of 70 emerging restaurant brands in the U.S. was measured. The 34 brands recognized by more than 10% of Americans were then selected for final evaluation.
Subsequently, the Emerging Brand Momentum rankings were calculated by equally weighing five key indicators: brand buzz, purchase consideration, net promoter score, growth potential, and innovation.
BBQ secured the 8th position among the 34 brands in the Emerging Brand Momentum evaluation. Notably, it ranked 3rd in the innovation category, which reflects the percentage of consumers who believe the brand introduces fresh ideas to the U.S. food service market.
YouGov specifically highlighted BBQ as a standout brand in terms of innovation, noting that American consumers rated its innovative approach higher than that of other global food service brands based in Southeast Asia.
A BBQ spokesperson stated that this result is significant as it demonstrates that American consumers view BBQ as a restaurant brand with substantial growth potential and innovative capabilities.
Currently, BBQ operates over 250 locations across more than 33 states in the U.S.
