Culinary Class War chef's Theborn Korea to inject $3.52 million to support franchisees

Home > Business > Industry

Culinary Class War chef's Theborn Korea to inject $3.52 million to support franchisees

Published: 02 May. 2025, 13:54 Updated: 02 May. 2025, 18:49

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Celebrity chef and founder of Theborn Korea Paik Jong-won apologizes to company shareholders on March 28 in southern Seoul. [NEWS1]

Theborn Korea, the F&B company led by celebrity chef and businessman Paik Jong-won, will inject 5 billion won ($3.52 million) to support its franchisees as part of efforts to promote mutual growth with partners.

Theborn Korea announced Thursday a set of relief measures that include waiving all franchise royalties for three months across its affiliated brands.

A company-funded promotional campaign will also be launched throughout May to drive customer traffic and boost sales. The headquarters will fully cover the costs, meaning franchisees will not bear any of the expenses.

In addition, the company plans to offer special discounts on core food ingredients this month.

Paik is also scheduled to hold in-person meetings with franchisees across different regions later this month. He will personally visit stores to listen to concerns on the ground and work with operators to seek realistic solutions.

The company said it hopes the gatherings will serve as a chance to further strengthen the trust and partnership built over the years between the headquarters and its franchisees.

Theborn Korea is currently under scrutiny from regulatory authorities following a series of controversies related to product labeling and promotional claims.

In one case, the Seocho Police Precinct in southern Seoul is investigating potential violations of the Act on Fair Labeling and Advertising after warning labels referring to industrial-grade metal cookware were used.

Separately, an advertisement for a porridge-based product known as deopjuk has drawn attention from the Gangnam District Office, which has requested a police investigation. The company advertised that the shrimp in the product was caught in the wild, when it was allegedly farmed.

“This new support plan focuses on listening to the voices from the field and alleviating the real-world challenges faced by our franchisees,” a company spokesperson said.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY BAE JAE-SUNG [[email protected]]