Jongno 3-ga: Travel Guide & Franchise Lessons
Explore Seoul's world-ranked Jongno 3-ga, its outdoor dining culture, historic attractions, and lessons for successful tourism franchises.
SOHOFRANCHISE INDUSTRY
Food & Beverage
Restaurants, cafés, bakery, dessert and beverage concepts.
FIELD REPORT
FIELD REPORT
Is Korea’s Chicken Franchise Still a Good Retirement Business for Baby Boomers?
Chicken has long been one of Korea’s most familiar post-retirement businesses. But with nearly 29,000 franchise outlets, rising operating costs and a 12% annual closure rate, opening a chicken restaurant can no longer be considered an easy or low-risk retirement strategy. SOHOFRANCHISE examines whether smaller, owner-operated neighborhood concepts could still work for Korea’s aging baby-boom generation.
FIELD REPORT
South Korea’s Burger Market Is No Longer Just a Fast-Food Business
South Korea has become one of Asia’s most competitive burger markets. McDonald’s leads in sales, while Mom’s Touch and Lotteria dominate the country by store count. But behind the brand rankings lies a very different franchise structure: some chains are almost entirely franchised, while others remain predominantly company-owned. SOHOFRANCHISE examines market size, store networks, franchise ratios, sales and startup costs.
FIELD REPORT
Korea’s Restaurant Franchise Market Meets a Massive Retirement Wave
South Korea’s restaurant franchise industry is expanding just as 9.54 million second-generation baby boomers begin entering retirement. This demographic shift could create a major new market for franchise ownership, particularly for smaller, lower-labor and easier-to-operate food businesses.
FIELD REPORT
Why Customers Still Line Up in the Rain
A rainy queue in Samcheong-dong is a reminder that visible demand, scarcity and location can be more powerful than advertising.