"Food Taste Has Changed Too Much... Complaints Flooding from Overseas Asking CEO Baek to Step In"

Screenshot from Baek Jong-won's YouTube channel 'Naekkeonaemeok'

원본보기 아이콘

"The XXXX store in Japan is really serious."

"Please also visit the Hanoi branch where the food taste has changed a lot."

"Please also check the Hongkong Banjeom in the United States."

Since Baek Jong-won, CEO of The Born Korea, announced that he would conduct a self-inspection of the Chinese food brand ‘Hongkong Banjeom 0410,’ requests to "inspect the Hongkong Banjeom in our neighborhood" have been pouring in not only from Korea but also from overseas.

On the 17th, Baek’s YouTube content ‘Naekkeonaemeok_Hongkong Banjeom Edition’ received nearly 25,000 comments. Most of them evaluated the taste and service of Hongkong Banjeom, with many saying it is not as good as before. Notably, there were recommendations for Baek to inspect overseas Hongkong Banjeom branches. One netizen sharply pointed out problems with the jjambbong and tangsuyuk at a store in Japan and requested an inspection. Another netizen mentioned poor hygiene at the same store, saying it is "well-known in the Korean community."

A netizen asking to check the Hongkong Banjeom stores in the United States said, "There aren’t many Hongkong Banjeom stores in the U.S., but the taste varies and almost all of them taste bad," adding, "It’s already hard to find really delicious jajang and jjambbong in the U.S., and since even the trustworthy Hongkong Banjeom tastes bad, there’s no solution. Please check the U.S. branches sometime." A netizen living in Indonesia said, "I hope you can also check the Hongkong Banjeom in Indonesia," adding, "Of course, it can’t be 100% the same as in Korea, but the taste is really bad. Please take this opportunity to visit overseas branches."

Regarding the current issues with Hongkong Banjeom, various opinions have focused on problems with the headquarters and franchise owners. One netizen who currently works as a kitchen staff said, "The owner spends all day reading YouTube comments," adding, "I honestly don’t trust the headquarters staff either. They come for inspections once every two months? They know what’s wrong but don’t say much and just leave." Another netizen said, "I think the department in charge of Hongkong Banjeom is the worst at their job," adding, "If they didn’t know about the bad reputation for so long, they weren’t working, and if they knew, they don’t have the ability to provide solutions."

Screenshot from Baek Jong-won's YouTube channel 'Naekkeonaemeok'

원본보기 아이콘

Another netizen said, "If you’re a franchise owner, you will definitely watch this video, and those who do well will look at the manual again," but added, "Those who don’t do well will never look at the manual even after watching the video. They probably don’t know where it is or have already thrown it away." Another netizen criticized, "Franchise owners running the business shouldn’t make excuses and should just make food according to the headquarters manual," adding, "If you take pride in cooking, you shouldn’t run a franchise but open a personal restaurant."

Opinions about CEO Baek are mixed between positive and negative. Netizens said, "Don’t just level up the poorly performing branches; please give a Baek Jong-won certification stamp to the good stores," or "As expected, the company comes alive when the CEO steps in directly." Another netizen mentioned Baek’s YouTube content, brand promotion, and direct feedback to improve quality, calling him "a very smart person." On the other hand, some netizens wrote, "There have been taste controversies for years, so why is the inspection only happening now?" or "Please inspect all the stores operating under Baek Jong-won’s name, not just Hongkong Banjeom."

According to The Born Korea’s website, Hongkong Banjeom has 2,920 stores domestically and a total of 48 overseas stores in countries including the United States, Japan, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Vietnam.

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.