New Food Brands for Korea

This week I’d like to share my recent article in Haps Korea. It’s a Foodie article but shares some cultural insights, too. Don

With few COVID restrictions, the international franchise business is set to boom.

The Food and Beverage industry was greatly restricted under COVID, not only with shutdowns, limited hours with closing at 9 p.m., and limits on the number of diners.

International travel, too, was non-existent for those in the industry seeking new brands.

The simple fact, too, is that when interested in a food brand, it requires you to experience first-hand the food, ambiance, and business model — something outside the scope of a video conference.

In fact, only a few brands opened in new markets during this time — and those deals were often arranged prior and/or, if launched visiting teams endured lengthy quarantines.

Most new launch projects were instead postponed, or at least their rollout of multiple locations was curtailed.

For example, although the agreement was signed by Hanwha Galleria in October 2022 for bringing Five Guys, the American fast food burger brand — the…