South Korean restaurateur Baek Jong-won’s restaurant franchise Theborn Korea will debut its first Saemaeul Sikdang brand in Hong Kong.
The all-day Korean barbecue restaurant will open in Tsim Sha Tsui, a major tourist hub in Hong Kong. “The new Saemaul Sikdang will be located on Granville Road in Tsim Sha Tsui,” said a Korean restaurant owner in the area. “It is set to be the largest Korean restaurant in Hong Kong under a single brand, occupying over 300 square meters spread across two floors.”
“We want to bring authentic Korean flavors to Hong Kong by opening our first Saemaul Sikdang in Tsim Sha Tsui,” said a Theborn Korea representative.
Theborn Korea was recently under fire for allegedly providing false information regarding profitability and sales to franchisee owners of the company’s tonkatsu takeout brand, Yeondon Ball Katsu. Some franchisee owners staged a protest, demanding Theborn Korea lower the cost of essential supplies, allow them to sell their foods at a higher price, or take responsibility for their disappointing sales. The controversy is delaying the company’s plans to go public.
Industry insiders believe the company is ramping up its overseas operations to offset recent setbacks in the domestic market.
Theborn Korea began its international expansion in 2005, initially focusing on China. But following the THAAD missile defense system deployment in 2017 and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the company has scaled back its operations in China. Last year, the company decided to liquidate three of its Chinese subsidiaries, including Qingdao Theborn Foods.
