"Baeknyeon Ga Gonghwachun 100-Year Secret, Reborn as a Franchise" [Biz Leader]

Yoon Kyung-geun, General Director of Didim Franchise Business Headquarters. / Photo by Didim

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hyowon] Korea's first jjajangmyeon, which started in Incheon Chinatown, has landed in Mapo, Seoul. "Gonghwachun," a place that food lovers have probably visited at least once, has been reborn as "100nyeon-ga Gonghwachun" through a partnership with Didim, a company specializing in dining franchises. True to its 100-year-old reputation, the Mapo branch No. 1 has been bustling with customers every day since its opening last month.

Even during the lunch hour when the reporter visited, there was a long line in front of the Mapo branch No. 1. However, due to the nature of Chinese restaurants, the turnover rate is fast, so customers could enter the restaurant without waiting long. The turnover rate at this store is said to be six times during lunch alone.

Yoon Kyung-geun, General Director of the Franchise Business Headquarters at Didim, who planned the 100nyeon-ga Gonghwachun franchise brand, said, "Since jjajangmyeon is our representative menu, the meal time per bowl is about 15 minutes, which is an advantage for fast turnover," adding, "If customers continue to come like this, the 20-pyeong (approximately 66 square meters) store will easily achieve monthly sales of 100 million KRW."

Didim signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Gonghwachun in 2018 for brand reconstruction and expansion, operating various types of directly managed stores in Seoul and the Gyeonggi area. However, existing Chinese restaurants faced difficulties in franchising because the chef's skills were crucial, labor costs were high, and stores sometimes had to close when the chef was absent.

To overcome this, Didim conducted extensive research based on Gonghwachun's traditional recipes and launched 100nyeon-ga Gonghwachun as a casual Chinese dining brand focusing on meals like jjajangmyeon and jjamppong that consumers can enjoy more lightly, rather than heavy cooking.

The food developed for 100nyeon-ga Gonghwachun embodies the deep flavors of a 100-year tradition while being less oily, clean, and light. After the opening of the Mapo branch No. 1, an elderly customer who visits daily said, "I usually don't eat jjajangmyeon because it upsets my stomach, but the jjajangmyeon here is light and easy on the stomach even if I eat it every day, so I never get tired of it."

Director Yoon said, "To ensure taste consistency and operational convenience, we completed franchise-exclusive products such as traditional chunjang sauce, frying powder, yuringi, and kanpunggi," adding, "We also introduced a smart direct-fire device that shoots flames from above to replace the 'wok heat' that gives the unique smoky flavor, allowing anyone to easily produce the authentic Chinese wok flavor."

With the goal of creating a Chinese restaurant that even novice entrepreneurs can easily approach, Director Yoon launched the brand. The intention is to provide an opportunity for self-employed people who went through difficult times during the COVID-19 pandemic to rise again with 100nyeon-ga Gonghwachun.

He said, "100nyeon-ga Gonghwachun is designed to allow customized startups considering prospective entrepreneurs and their experience, regardless of delivery-only, food courts, or small, medium, and large stores," adding, "We focused on building a system that prioritizes stable profits for store owners through popularity, operational simplicity, and minimizing labor costs."

He continued, "Didim is one of the few KOSDAQ-listed dining franchise companies, operating large directly managed stores such as Baekjewon, Tokyo Hana, Jumbo Seafood, and numerous franchises including Yeonan Sikdang, Mapo Galmaegi, and Whale Gamjatang," emphasizing, "Based on this know-how, we plan to grow 100nyeon-ga Gonghwachun into a long-lasting brand that can operate for more than 10 years as a global dining specialist company."

Meanwhile, Yoon Kyung-geun, General Director of the Franchise Business Headquarters at Didim, is a dining business expert who joined Didim last year after working at CJ Food Service Division, FCG JAPAN Strategic Planning Office, and as Head of New Business at Samjin Fishcake.