[Should I Start a Business Too] 'Chaesondang, the House with Fresh Vegetables'... 24-Hour Unmanned Meal Kit Store Gains Attention↑

Chaesundang Dosirak & Salad & Meal Kit 24 Sejong Naseong Branch Store.

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Hyewon] As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the number of people eating at home, known as the ‘Jipbapjok’ (home meal tribe), has increased, leading to active entry into the lunchbox market by the dining industry. In particular, with growing interest in health and preference for convenient lunchboxes, the growth of Chae Seon Dang’s ‘Lunchbox & Salad & Meal Kit 24’ is attracting attention.

Chae Seon Dang is a dining specialist company that has cultivated the brand image of ‘a home with fresh vegetables’ for 19 years. In October last year, aiming to provide a healthy meal like home-cooked food anytime and anywhere without being restricted by location, Chae Seon Dang launched the Lunchbox & Salad & Meal Kit 24 business. Starting with the first store in Sangam DMC, Seoul, it surpassed 67 franchise stores nationwide within eight months. The business is gradually expanding with a diverse product lineup including lunchboxes, salads, and meal kits, backed by Chae Seon Dang’s expertise and product quality.

Chae Seon Dang conducts various tests such as research and blind tasting during the development of new menus and the supplementation and improvement of existing menus. In this process, all employees participate in tasting without exception. Through this, individual opinions are reflected and improvements are made before finalizing the launch.

The main menu is a balanced lunchbox that includes rice made from good-quality rice, soup, and salad. In addition, they offer a hearty diet health food salad & poke series and home meal replacement meal kits, expanding consumer choices with these three items. This triple revenue structure is said to enable stable sales traction.

The poke main dish of Chaesundang Dosirak & Salad & Meal Kit 24.

According to Chae Seon Dang, meal kit stores can operate unmanned 24 hours a day, which reduces labor cost burdens.

The lunchbox, which includes barley rice, today’s soup, and salad, is available from the 7,000 won range, which consumers say offers better cost-effectiveness compared to similar lunchboxes from famous brands priced between 10,000 and 15,000 won.

Chae Seon Dang Lunchbox & Salad & Meal Kit 24 follows the principle of opening stores only in optimal commercial areas personally verified by the CEO to ensure stable sales and profits for franchise stores at the early stage. During the contract process, the desired startup area is first confirmed, then the contract manager analyzes and proposes promising commercial areas. Franchise contracts are made only after prior approval from the CEO.

During startup, a two-week training is conducted for one planned franchise store. This is an intensive training with a small group of 2 to 3 trainees per one instructor. In the first week, menu training is held at the head office training center, and in the second week, trainees gain field experience through on-site practice at a directly operated store. During the training period, trainees receive basic education such as kitchen equipment usage, ingredient inspection, pre-processing methods, menu cooking methods, cost management, personnel management, and store operation know-how.

Kim Iksoo, CEO of Chae Seon Dang, stated, “With the recent spread of non-face-to-face consumption, more people are avoiding crowded places to eat alone or having meals at home.” He added, “Chae Seon Dang will strive to position itself as a leading company in the dining industry in line with these changing dining market trends.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.