Azitmaker Co., Ltd., the operator of the bar franchise "Yongyongseonsaeng," announced the official launch of its casual mala specialty restaurant "Ryongryong Maradawon," with plans to begin franchising from March 2026.
Ryongryong Maradawon is a brand designed with the goal of transforming the domestic malatang market structure. Although the malatang market in Korea has grown rapidly, it is still dominated by Chinese capital and local business models, with similar store concepts and operating methods being repeated, making it difficult for brands to differentiate themselves.
Azitmaker Co., Ltd. has entered the malatang market with a new brand that offers a space experience and operational system tailored to Korean dining culture, aiming to innovate this existing structure.
Through Ryongryong Maradawon, the company’s strategy is to redesign the overall taste, design, and operational structure to present a customized mala dining culture that Korean consumers can enjoy.
An official from Azitmaker Co., Ltd. stated, "Malatang has already become a staple in our everyday lives, but it is still difficult to say that it has been established as a cultural phenomenon. Given that the taste, space, and overall experience remain rooted in outdated local customs, we aimed to create a higher-level culture, more suited to the way Koreans want to enjoy it."
They added, "Ryongryong Maradawon, with its newly designed approach to design, systems, and business structure, will redefine the standards of the malatang market. Based on the franchise management experience we have accumulated, we plan to build a stable and sustainable franchise model."
Ryongryong Maradawon is drawing attention in the industry as a mala specialty brand introduced by Azitmaker Co., Ltd., the company behind Yongyongseonsaeng. Yongyongseonsaeng is a bar franchise operating over 100 locations nationwide, with its signature menu item "Volcano Mala Hot Pot" helping it achieve the top spot in the 2025 Naver Trend Bar Brand category.
Ryongryong Maradawon features an easy and stable operational model for both dine-in and delivery, built upon the proven system of Yongyongseonsaeng. Leveraging the systems and expertise accumulated through operating a nationwide large-scale franchise, the company plans to secure market competitiveness by differentiating itself from the standardized operating methods typical of existing malatang restaurants.
The malatang market, having become a staple dining option for Millennials & Gen Z, continues to grow, and this growth has accelerated the expansion of China-based brands within Korea’s dining industry. In this context, attention is focused on how Ryongryong Maradawon will set new standards and reshape the existing market structure going forward.
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