Young chefs from Honam University are posing in front of the former Senior Welfare Center, where a specialized educational facility for restaurant startups is being established. Provided by Jangseong County, Jeollanam-do.
Jangseong County, Jeollanam-do announced on September 4 that the specialized training facility for restaurant startups, currently undergoing renovation, will open in December.
Since the launch of the 8th popularly elected administration in July 2022, the county has consistently focused on the growth of the tourism sector. Notable achievements include Baekyangsa Temple surpassing 1 million annual visitors for the first time, the successful hosting of the Hwangryong River Gil-dongmu Flower Road Festival and the Autumn Flower Festival, as well as being selected for several mid- to long-term projects such as the 30 billion won "Jangseong Wonderland" development, which has raised expectations.
The county identified "food" as the key to linking tourism demand with the local economy. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a boom in healthy food, bringing global attention to Baekyangsa Temple cuisine, while food products grown in Jangseong's pristine environment have also become a focal point.
The popularity of these efforts was demonstrated when the "Jangseong Local Food Advanced Direct Market," which sells fresh and safe food through direct transactions with local farms, surpassed a cumulative sales total of 30 billion won within three years of opening. This year, the county launched the farm restaurant "Jangseong Hansang," taking on a new challenge to build the "Jangseong food brand."
In addition, through internal meetings and expert consultations, the county reached a consensus to focus on nurturing "people" for the long-term development of the restaurant industry. Last year, the decision was made to convert the former Senior Welfare Center into a restaurant startup training facility, and necessary service contracts were carried out, including the "remodeling (renovation) construction implementation design."
Based on the service results, the renovation cost was set at 3.4 billion won. As the former Senior Welfare Center is a 23-year-old aging building, it was essential to meet legal insulation standards and reinforce facilities such as waterproofing, windows, electricity, communications, and gas. Construction began in May and is scheduled for completion by the end of November.
The training facility will be a two-story building with a total area of 1,133 square meters. The first floor will house a cooking classroom, meeting room, and offices, while the second floor will feature a bakery and cafe training room and a cooking studio. The county is considering whether to operate the facility directly or to publicly recruit a managing institution or organization.
A county official stated, "The former Senior Welfare Center, which had become obsolete after the new Senior Center was built in 2022, is being reborn as a hub for realizing 'Gastronomy City Jangseong.' We expect it to play a central role in nurturing local startup talent, developing specialized cuisine, and serving as a driver for youth entrepreneurship and local job creation."
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