"Do You Know Minto and Canmoa?"... Nostalgic Franchises Seen Through the Revival of Seafood Tteokjjim [Matjalal X File]

'Toast Muhan' Canmoa Bucheon and 11 Other Locations Operated
'Deli Manjoo and Rival' Lotiboy Also at 12 Locations
Cold Stone Tried Again but Closed Due to COVID-19

The nostalgic Haemul Tteokjjim0410 has been revived. This is the classic spicy and sweet seafood tteokbokki that dominated the 2000s, the Haemul Tteokjjim. The Born Korea, led by CEO Baek Jong-won, has decided to re-release Haemul Tteokjjim as a new menu item at Hanshin Pocha. As enthusiasts who longed for Haemul Tteokjjim gathered, the once quiet Hanshin Pocha has recently become bustling. The new Haemul Tteokjjim has been made more stimulating considering the recent trend favoring spiciness. Although the amount of seafood has decreased, the reasonable price in the 20,000 KRW range has sparked a hot initial response.

Haemul Tteokjjim was once one of the menu items at Hanshin Pocha, and as its popularity grew, it became a franchise. It was Born Korea's first franchise business, launched in 2004. It was so popular that it made a mark in the domestic tteokbokki industry before Dongdaemun Yeopddeok. However, due to the proliferation of similar brands, its competitiveness declined, and after ups and downs, it disappeared in the early 2010s.

With the revival of Haemul Tteokjjim, nostalgia for the franchises that once dominated an era is deepening. Let's take a look at the current status of places like LotiBoi, which once filled alleys with the scent of coffee and butter, and Canmore, famous for its rocking chairs and unlimited toast refills.

The signature dish of Haemul Tteokjjim 0410 is Haemul Tteokjjim.
[Photo by The Born Korea]

Canmore: The Franchise Known for Unlimited Toast, Rocking Chairs, and Snowflake Bingsu

Opened in 1999, Canmore was Korea's first fresh fruit dessert specialty store. It was a franchise famous for its rocking chairs and unlimited refills of toast, whipped cream, and snowflake bingsu when ordering drinks. Many middle and high school students in the early to mid-2000s first experienced the concept of a caf? through Canmore. Its popularity was so immense that it even expanded to Japan at one point.

In the tvN Monday-Tuesday drama 'Seonjae Upgo Twieo,' high school girl Im Sol (actress Kim Hye-yoon) is giving love advice against the backdrop of Canmoa.
[Photo by tvN]

However, in the late 2000s, as coffee franchises rapidly grew, Canmore began to decline. Continuing on a downward path, Canmore underwent a major renewal in 2022, opening a new store in Bucheon to announce its survival.

Currently, there are no stores in Seoul, but Canmore operates in 11 locations nationwide including Bucheon, Incheon, Paju, Yongin, Yangpyeong, Gongju, Gwangju, Gyeongju, and Changwon, maintaining its legacy. The rocking chairs by the windows remain, and toast and whipped cream are still offered with unlimited refills.

LotiBoi: The 'Fragrance Powerhouse' Rivaling Delimanjoo

Rotiboy Logo

There was a fragrance that surpassed the absolute dominance of Delimanjoo in subway stations, and that was the coffee bun from LotiBoi. Promoting itself as "the most delicious bread in the world," this franchise enticed passersby with the aroma of coffee and butter.

LotiBoi is not a domestic franchise. It is a rare brand that came from Malaysia. Founded by Top Yip Hong in 1998, LotiBoi expanded to Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, and Dubai, and opened its first store in Korea at Ewha Womans University in 2007. It enjoyed explosive popularity, growing to 150 stores within a year. There was probably at least one shop in every neighborhood with a logo featuring a man wearing a baker's hat.

However, like Haemul Tteokjjim0410, LotiBoi struggled with the proliferation of similar brands such as Paparoti, Papa & Bun, and Loti Mom. Eventually, LotiBoi Bakeshop Korea (RBK), which operated the franchise in Korea, went bankrupt in 2012, putting the brand at risk of disappearing.

Fortunately, LotiBoi Malaysia's headquarters switched from a master franchise to a branch office operation, opening the possibility of revival. Although not as popular as before, LotiBoi's aroma remains attractive. Currently, it operates stores in 12 locations including Seoul, Goyang, Incheon, Chuncheon, Daejeon, Gwangju, and Busan.

Dandelion Territory: The Sacred Place for University Group Meetings and Study Sessions with Drinks and Cup Noodles

Dandelion Territory Burial

Known as 'Minto' for short, Dandelion Territory was a space that received explosive love from university students in the early 2000s. The European-style caf? entrance featured small stone paths and wooden stairs. Unlike caf?s where you pay for drinks, Minto required a basic fee called 'culture fee' to enter. Paying the culture fee allowed customers to stay for three hours with unlimited refills of basic drinks and free cup noodles. At a time when staying long in caf?s was uncommon, Minto became a sanctuary for university study groups and meetings.

Until 2008, Minto had established itself as a corporate caf? with 21 branches. However, as coffee franchises rapidly increased, Minto's unique strength of providing space faded, and it eventually declined. In 2009, even the Sinchon branch, known as 'Dandelion Territory Mother Branch,' closed, leaving only one location near Kyung Hee University. It still charges a culture fee (5,000 KRW), and coffee, green tea, and black tea are available with unlimited refills.

1990s: Crown Bakery Over Parisbaguette

Crown Bakery CF featuring actress Go Hyun-jung

Crown Bakery dominated the domestic bakery market in the 1990s. It was the first in the baking industry to advertise on TV. At one point, it led the industry with 1,000 franchise stores. It caused a sensational reaction by launching the first fresh cream cake.

However, after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) financial crisis, its parent company Crown faced difficulties and lost its investment base. Crown even acquired Haitai, which was larger than itself, causing Crown Bakery to lose its footing. Meanwhile, Parisbaguette aggressively advanced, and CJ entered the bakery industry with Tous Les Jours in 1997, leading to Crown Bakery's disappearance in 2013.

Cold Stone: Pioneering the Topping Ice Cream Era Before Yoajeong

Cold Stone store

In the mid-2000s, Cold Stone stood shoulder to shoulder with Baskin Robbins and Natur as an ice cream specialty store. Its unique concept of mixing ice cream and various toppings like fruits on a cold granite slab gained popularity.

Cold Stone started in 1988 as Cold Stone Creamery in Arizona, USA. In Korea, CJ Foodville, which operates Tous Les Jours, introduced it in 2006. At one point, it had 66 stores but suffered from poor sales, and CJ Foodville eventually declined to renew the contract. Cold Stone withdrew from the market at the end of 2015.

Three years later, in 2018, StarLux signed a new master franchise contract with Cold Stone Creamery and opened the first store at Ewha Womans University Station. However, the COVID-19 pandemic posed challenges. With intensified caf? competition, Cold Stone withdrew again from the domestic market in 2020. It became a rare foreign franchise to close its business twice.

Before the recent trend of Yoajeong (the standard of yogurt ice cream), Cold Stone pioneered the topping ice cream era. If this brand had maintained its competitiveness, it is intriguing to imagine how the ice cream specialty store market, currently virtually monopolized by Baskin Robbins, would look today.