[Should I Start a Business Too] "Fully Booked Even at Midnight"... 'Shin Mapo Galmaegi' Recognized for Its 'Taste of Nostalgia'

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Hyewon]There is a dining franchise brand that combines the place name Mapo, which holds warm memories for ordinary people, with galmaegisal, a special cut of pork.

The meat restaurant franchise 'Shin Mapo Galmaegi' by dining company Didim has been operating 107 stores nationwide as of this month since its brand launch in 2008.

Shin Mapo Galmaegi initially gained attention for its grill plates offering galmaegisal and egg crust.

It features a 'self-bar system' that allows efficient operation with minimal staff at franchise stores, eliminating the need for professional kitchen personnel.

By adopting the business collaboration tool 'JANDI,' it has enhanced communication efficiency across all business sites including headquarters, directly operated stores, franchises, factories, and overseas branches. JANDI provides an online collaboration space enabling real-time messaging, topic-based chat rooms, video conferencing, and document management, allowing collaboration anytime and anywhere.

Recently, based on its know-how in food manufacturing and distribution, it has expanded its business into the ready-meal market and overseas markets.

Shin Mapo Galmaegi, whose local LA corporation in the U.S. turned profitable in the third quarter of this year, plans to accelerate its overseas expansion by opening its first stores in Pakistan and Dubai in the Middle East by the end of April next year.

Currently, Shin Mapo Galmaegi has entered not only the U.S. but also Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Laos, and Thailand under the global brand name 'Magal BBQ.' Magal BBQ is conceptualized as a premium barbecue restaurant and is strongly recognized as "Korean BBQ." The popularity of Squid Game and BTS is leading to the rise of Hallyu food.

In the case of the U.S. LA corporation, where with-COVID measures were implemented earlier, the third-quarter performance this year achieved a turnaround to profitability with sales of $134,618 (approximately 160 million KRW). Sales increased by 149.1% compared to the same period last year.