"The Black Sheet Looked Like Sirutteok, So We Named It Strawberry Siru"
Lim Young-jin, CEO of Seongsimdang, which is loved nationwide beyond Daejeon, revealed the behind-the-scenes story behind the name 'Siru Cake'.
On the 11th, CEO Lim explained on the first episode 'Sold Out' of 'SBS Special - the Bread' regarding Siru Cake, "The strawberry siru became a hit, turning into the siru series, including chestnut siru and tangerine siru, making it a seasonal cake throughout the year," adding, "Originally, it was called Strawberry Chocolat Cake, but the black sheet looked like sirutteok, so we changed the name to Strawberry Siru, and it became a hit."
He continued, "When it was called Strawberry Chocolat Cake, sales were almost nonexistent, but after changing the name, sales increased significantly," and said, "This was Director Kim Mi-jin's idea." Director Kim Mi-jin is CEO Lim's spouse.
Seongsimdang, established in 1956, is a famous bakery in the Daejeon area. In 2023, it became the first single bakery brand to surpass annual sales of 100 billion won, establishing itself as a representative local brand. Seongsimdang's popular menu item is the 'Siru Cake,' and many customers line up before opening (open run) to buy it. It is also resold in the secondhand market with a premium of 30,000 to 40,000 won.
Visitors are lining up in front of the Seongsimdang main store, a representative attraction of Daejeon, to purchase bread. Photo by Heo Young-han
The secret to Seongsimdang's popularity is its 'cost-effectiveness' (performance relative to price). The siru series cakes representing Seongsimdang?strawberry, mango, tangerine, and fig?are all priced at 43,000 won for the first edition. Even amid soaring fruit prices, Seongsimdang is characterized by using relatively affordable prices while including more fruit than bread or cream. It is also evaluated as comparable to hotel cakes priced in the 100,000 won range.
CEO Lim emphasized that he does not skimp on ingredients when making bread. He said, "We use ingredients generously, and many people take photos of that and post them on social networking services (SNS)," adding, "I think we are greatly benefiting from SNS." He also said, "In my opinion, when we give a lot to customers, a lot comes back to us," and "Isn't it common to be disappointed when visiting a famous place? It feels good to see customers satisfied and buying bread with both hands full."
Regarding customers lining up from the store opening time to buy Seongsimdang's bread and cakes, he said, "It is touching and appreciated to see people coming early in the morning and waiting." CEO Lim added, "I think we must not disappoint those people," and said, "I think it would be good to do it with a heart that loves bread."
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