"Ordered 146 Sandwiches from Sungsimdang, Was It a Scam?" The Story Behind 'Bbangbubbangjo'

Ordered Snacks for Employees from a Local Shop in the Same Area
"Growing Together Through Mutual Prosperity... A Good Company"

Sungsimdang, a famous bakery in Daejeon, has drawn attention after it was reported to have ordered more than 150 sandwiches from a local sandwich shop in the same area.

On May 8, a person identified as A, who runs a sandwich shop in Eunhaeng-dong, Jung-gu, Daejeon, shared on their social networking service (SNS) account, "I received an order for 146 sandwiches from Sungsimdang." A explained that a group order inquiry call came to the shop around 1:30 p.m. that day, adding, "They asked if it would be possible to prepare 146 sandwiches by 6:30 p.m."

When A asked, "Where should I deliver them?" the answer was "Sungsimdang." A commented, "It seemed that the famous Sungsimdang had ordered sandwiches from our shop for their employees," and added, "For today, I promised myself that I would take responsibility for the snacks of Sungsimdang employees."

However, some online users who saw this expressed concerns, asking, "Why would a bakery order bread from another bakery?" and wondered if this could be a case of the increasingly common 'no-show scam.'

Several hours later, A posted a follow-up. A confirmed, "It was really Sungsimdang that placed the order, and the 146 sandwiches were delivered successfully." A continued, "Both my husband, two acquaintances, and I found it strange and were curious the whole time we were making the sandwiches. We wondered why such a large bakery would order from our shop." A then shared, "It seems Sungsimdang is truly a good company in Daejeon that cares about local small businesses and grows together in a spirit of mutual prosperity. If you visit Sungsimdang, please also stop by our shop. You might get to try the very sandwiches Sungsimdang ordered." A also joked, "Even I don't often eat our own menu. Food always tastes best when someone else makes it."

Online users who read A's post responded warmly, saying, "Sungsimdang employees probably want to eat sandwiches made by someone else too," "It's heartwarming to see local businesses supporting each other," and "This is a positive influence." Additionally, they coined a new term, "Bbangbubbangjo," combining "sangbusangjo" (mutual help) with "bbang" (bread), which is a commonality between Sungsimdang and A's shop.

Meanwhile, Sungsimdang became the first non-franchise single bakery brand to surpass 100 billion won in annual sales. According to data from the Financial Supervisory Service, Sungsimdang's sales last year reached 193.7 billion won, an increase of 69.4 billion won (55.8%) from the previous year's 124.3 billion won. Operating profit was 47.8 billion won, up 16.3 billion won (51.7%) from 31.5 billion won the previous year.