Nongshim said on the 30th that it newly opened two Coco Ichibanya franchise locations, Magok Balsan and Gongdeok Lotte Castle.
Coco Ichibanya Magok Balsan, which opened on the 28th, is located in the core commercial area of the Magok district, a representative business town in western Seoul. Nearby are large corporate research labs, including LG Science Park, and offices related to advanced industries.
Kim Ryul, the owner of Coco Ichibanya Magok Balsan, said, "While running a restaurant in Balsan-dong for eight years, I decided to expand after seeing the Magok commercial district become active following Balsan," and added, "I decided to start a Coco Ichibanya, which I often frequented, as an item that can be operated for a long time without being swayed by trends."
Also, Coco Ichibanya Gongdeok Lotte Castle, which opened the same day, is on basement level one of the Gongdeok Lotte Castle President underground shopping arcade connected to Exit 2 of Gongdeok Station. Jang Yong-rok, the owner of the Gongdeok Lotte Castle location, is a case of switching from manager of a Coco Ichibanya company-owned store to franchisee.
Jang said, "While working at a company-owned store, I came to trust headquarters' friendly communication style that considers employees, and through a network with seniors who succeeded in launching Coco Ichibanya franchises, I was able to decide to start a business."
Recently, the number of cases in which employees from company-owned stores at Coco Ichibanya open franchises has increased. Employees-turned-franchisees account for 43% of all franchise owners. This is attributed to trust in headquarters, confidence in business viability, and stable revenue.
A Nongshim official said, "Rather than expanding the number of stores quickly, we are opening locations cautiously, even if slowly," and added, "As we expand franchise locations, we are strengthening support systems for franchises with a focus on improving owners' revenue structures and mutual growth with franchisees."