Yeondon Bowlkatsu Franchise Owners on Baek Jongwon's Apology: "He Said Nothing When Closure Rate Exceeded 70%"

"Sales Plummeted After the Paekham Controversy"
"5 Billion Won Support Plan? Only 1.5 Million Won Per Store"

Baek Jongwon, CEO of Theborn Korea, announced that he would suspend all broadcasting activities and focus on the growth of Theborn Korea. However, Yeondon Bowlkatsu franchise owners expressed their bewilderment at this decision.

Baek Jongwon, CEO of Theborn Korea, apologized for a series of controversies including quality and food safety. CEO Baek's YouTube

Jung Yunki, co-chairman of the Yeondon Bowlkatsu Franchise Owners Association, commented on Baek's apology during an appearance on MBC Radio's "Kim Jongbae's Focus" on May 7, saying, "I feel frustrated and somewhat baffled." He added, "For someone who thought so little of the franchise owners that, even when the closure rate of Yeondon Bowlkatsu exceeded 70%, did nothing except release new products, it is bewildering for him to now claim he will do something for us. That is how the franchise owners feel."

Jung explained that the recent series of controversies related to Theborn Korea has been affecting sales. He said, "The Paekham incident happened last January, and at that time, sales plummeted." He continued, "I can't say for certain that the controversy is the cause, but I do believe it is a significant factor in the sales decline."

Regarding Baek's mention of a 5 billion won support plan for franchisees, Jung said, "I heard there are about 3,000 Theborn Korea franchise stores. If you simply divide 5 billion won, it comes out to about 1.5 to 1.6 million won per store." He added, "Stores with higher sales will receive much more benefit, while stores like Yeondon Bowlkatsu with very low sales will receive little benefit. The support plan is just too small. It didn't really resonate with me."

Last year, the Yeondon Bowlkatsu Franchise Owners Association filed a complaint against Theborn Korea with the Fair Trade Commission. Jung explained, "We started the Yeondon Bowlkatsu franchise business in the second half of 2021. The person in charge of launching explained that store sales would be around 30 million to 33 million won, with a profit margin of about 20%." He continued, "Of course, I didn't rely solely on that explanation when consulting about the franchise. At the time, Yeondon Bowlkatsu was a hot topic, and I trusted it because it was associated with CEO Baek. But after the preliminary contract, I received a projected sales estimate that was less than half of what was initially discussed."

He also said, "In reality, when my store first opened, sales were 29 million won, but then they started to drop, and at the worst point, they fell to 8 million won."

Jung stated that the matter is "still under investigation" and said, "I want to ask the headquarters how they plan to resolve this situation. Also, Yeondon Bowlkatsu's sales have been maintained intermittently thanks to CEO Baek's promotion, but in this situation, I am most curious whether any further promotion will be possible."