Fostering Food Service Entrepreneurs... Seoul City Opens 'Youth Cook Business Center'

A Food Service Startup Incubation Space Near Konkuk University Station
Free Branding and Design Support... Practical Startup Assistance Including IR Demo Day and Taste Testing Competitions

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Seoul’s ‘Youth Cook Business Center’ will officially begin operations starting with its opening ceremony on the 18th. The ‘Youth Cook Business Center’ is a dedicated incubation space for young people dreaming of starting a food service business, established with the purpose of nurturing well-prepared food service entrepreneurs through theoretical education aligned with the latest trends and practical cooking training.

The center is located near ‘Geondae Mat-ui Street’ by Geondaeipgu Station, an area with a high youth floating population. It has a total floor area of 259㎡ and is equipped with ▲an open kitchen for cooking practice ▲a taste testing and community space ▲an incubation space for startups ▲and a studio for food photography.

The center differentiates itself from existing food service startup support projects in three major ways. First, it supports in-depth skill development by setting startup themes such as delivery startups for each cohort. Next, it provides opportunities to gain practical experience through fieldwork, and supports outstanding trainees to gain experience in industries similar to the items they wish to start their business in.

Before the center’s opening, Seoul selected 15 young prospective entrepreneurs for the first cohort in April under the theme of ‘Shared Kitchen Delivery Startup.’ The 15 youths selected as first cohort participants will receive theoretical and practical training for entrepreneurship at the center for about four months until August. Additionally, to boost participants’ motivation, special lectures by Chef Shin Hyo-seop and Moon Young-il, CEO of ‘Oneul Ae Gimbap,’ will be held during the training period.

Furthermore, to provide practical help for startups, expert branding and design support will be offered. Along with this, programs to check the final preparation status before starting a business are arranged, such as a ‘Mock Investment Presentation (IR) Demo Day’ where experts evaluate business plans and provide helpful feedback, and a ‘Taste Testing Competition’ that offers opportunities to validate prototypes created from consulting results. Graduates who wish to practice at delivery-type shared kitchens operated by the private sector will also receive tangible benefits such as short-term leases and deposit exemptions.

Meanwhile, the opening ceremony on the 18th is planned to embody the purpose of nurturing future talent in the food service industry, featuring a time capsule video showing young people’s impressions upon entering the center and their initial determination toward entrepreneurship. The event catering will be prepared jointly by professional chefs and prospective entrepreneurs. Additionally, a pre-tasting evaluation meeting will be held where hopeful prospective entrepreneurs can showcase their startup menu items.

Kim Cheol-hee, Director of Seoul’s Future Youth Planning Group, said, “The Youth Cook Business Center opening this time was established to enable young people to achieve practical startup success in the changed entrepreneurial environment after COVID-19. Starting with the first cohort, we will nurture young food service entrepreneurs who can actively respond to market changes.”

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