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December 1, 2025 International Franchise Weekly Briefing

Weekly Briefing · 2025.12.01

Global Food Service Franchise
Weekly Briefing

Key Themes This Week

· U.S. West & East Coast – Continued openings of experiential flagship and multi‑concept hybrid spaces

· U.S. Nationwide – Lease and labor cost pressures drive a wave of New York closures in November

· China & Japan – Franchise IPO pushes and Yoshi‑no‑ya’s six subsidiaries merge

· Taiwan – Buffet and shabu‑shabu chains hike prices across December

· Singapore, Vietnam, Philippines – Concept stores, tourism‑F&B packages, and ESG community marketing expand

FDAM Franchise ERP – Global Food Service News Weekly Briefing

This briefing is tailored for Korean franchisor headquarters, compiling the latest issues from nine countries and regions—including the U.S., China, Japan, and Southeast Asia. Review the trends to inform your overseas expansion strategy and operational decisions.

Summary:FDAM, the franchise‑focused ERP

1. U.S. West Coast – La Monique French Riviera‑Concept Restaurant Opens in Santa Monica

La Monique opened inside the Oceana Hotel in Santa Monica, Los Angeles. The restaurant showcases a French Riviera‑inspired interior and a menu led by a Michelin‑grade chef. Velvet sofas, mirrored ceilings, and an art collection emphasize experiential dining, while collaborations with local artisan bakeries and cheese shops strengthen local sourcing.

Although a single‑location concept, it exemplifies how a high‑end hotel‑restaurant can grow a stay‑tourism revenue model.

Implications for Korean Headquarters

When Korean franchises enter the U.S. West Coast, consider hotel‑in‑shop or experiential flagship strategies. Elevating the brand experience at a single location before scaling to multiple sites offers a phased, effective expansion path.

2. U.S. East Coast | Brooklyn Lebanon Restaurant Expands to LES, New York Opens New Locations in November

In New York, a wave of new restaurants, bars, and markets opened in November, featuring concepts from Lebanon, Mexico, Korean cuisine, and pasta. Brooklyn’s Lebanese eatery "Semkeh" expanded into Lower East Side, offering localized menu items such as shawarma burritos and falafel burgers to target the MZ generation.

At Bryant Park, the 4‑story Asian food and culture hub "Hue House" opened, blending food, wellness, and events into a single space‑business model. This signals that experimentation with new concepts and locations remains active in the New York dining scene.

Key Takeaway for the Korean Headquarters

When Korean franchises enter the U.S. East Coast, a "multi‑concept + cultural experience" approach can become a core competitive advantage. Designing spaces that serve as content, beyond just menu sales, is an increasingly important trend.

3. Nationwide U.S. | New York Sees Mass Restaurant Closures in November
Dim‑Sum Franchise Pulls Out

Throughout New York, restaurants, cafĂ©s, and bars closed in November. Independent spots like brunch spots, vegan restaurants, and Matcha cafĂ©s shuttered, and even the dim‑sum chain "Awesome DimSum" withdrew several locations due to rising costs, rent, and shifting demand.

After the pandemic, a combination of rent hikes, labor costs, and input price pressure has pushed many outlets into a liquidation phase.

Key Takeaway for the Korean Headquarters

For Korean franchises preparing to enter the U.S. market, this underscores how critical store‑level profitability and financial safeguards—cash flow and contract structure—are compared to expansion speed.

4. China | Mien Franchise "Wujian Xiaomien" Pursues Hong Kong IPO

The Chongqing‑based noodle chain "Wujian Xiaomien" has filed for a preliminary review on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Launched in 2014, the brand now operates hundreds of stores, growing by standardizing recipes, supply chains, and brand design to attract younger customers.

The filing outlines plans to expand online delivery, focus on new‑city openings, and boost margins through toppings and side menus. It illustrates how local noodle franchises in China are leveraging capital markets for aggressive growth.

Key Takeaway for the Korean Headquarters

When Korean snack and noodle brands consider entering China or setting up local subsidiaries, this case offers a benchmark. Standardized operating manuals and supply‑chain design are prerequisites for accessing capital markets.

5. Japan | Yoshinoya Holdings Consolidates Six Regional Subsidiaries
Reorganizes "Gyudon, Udon, Ramen" Core Brands

Yoshinoya Holdings announced it will merge six regional subsidiaries that operated gyudon chains into a single entity, "Yoshinoya." The move unifies command, consolidates lease agreements, and centralizes asset management to accelerate store conversions and new concept testing.

The company targets „300 billion in sales and „15 billion in operating profit over a five‑year mid‑term plan, positioning itself as a leading example of how large Japanese restaurant groups are restructuring portfolios and corporate structures to fuel post‑pandemic growth.

Key Takeaway for the Korean Headquarters

This trend is also relevant for Korean franchise headquarters when reshaping corporate structures and organization. Aligning assets and decision‑making frameworks with growth stages can become a decisive factor in the speed of new concept deployment.

6. Taiwan | 'Taiwanese-style Haidilao' Shabu-Shabu chain hikes prices amid rising labor and rent costs

In Taiwan, the shabu-shabu and buffet chain known as 'Taiwanese-style Haidilao,' along with other large-scale buffet restaurants, announced a simultaneous price increase starting in December. The simultaneous rise in labor, rent, and food costs makes it difficult to maintain profitability at existing price points.

Some outlets plan to raise weekday lunch prices by 20–40 Taiwanese dollars, while leveraging membership perks and promotions to curb customer churn. The limits of the low‑price, unlimited‑refill buffet model are also becoming apparent.

Implications for the Korean headquarters

This data offers a useful reference for the Korean franchisor headquarters when designing pricing and promotion strategies. As price hikes become necessary, sophisticated plans that combine membership and set menus to minimize attrition become increasingly critical.

7. Singapore | Santori opens first 'Hibiki' concept restaurant 'Barrel' in the city

Santori, known for the Japanese whisky brand Hibiki, opened its first Hibiki‑concept restaurant, Barrel, on December 6 in Singapore’s CBD on Cecil Street. The space, which replaced the former U.S. grill restaurant Rosemid and rum bar Sugarhole, features an 83‑seat dining hall, two private rooms, a wood‑fire grill counter, and a subterranean whisky lounge called Vault built around an old vault.

Chef Sho Nagunuma, who brought success to Torashƍ Ramen in Singapore, will lead operations. The menu will showcase Hibiki‑infused chicken rice, soft ice cream, and highball‑whisky pairings. The concept demonstrates how a flagship brand can amplify its experience through a direct‑to‑consumer restaurant while simultaneously boosting high‑end dining and liquor sales.

Implications for the Korean headquarters

This is a case worth studying for domestic alcohol and food franchises planning global concept stores. The key is designing a flagship that leverages core IP to drive sales across other channels.

8. Vietnam | Saigon Tourists Group promotes Vietnam tourism and food culture in China

Vietnam’s state‑owned tourism, hotel, and restaurant group Saigon Tourists highlighted its portfolio of hotels, resorts, and restaurants at a tourism conference in China. The group operates over 100 properties and showcased premium dining experiences in Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and Phu Quoc as part of a packaged offering.

Targeting China’s middle‑class and group travelers, the strategy of bundling 'tourism + F&B' into integrated products shows that Vietnam’s food market is rapidly expanding beyond domestic consumption into tourism‑linked hospitality.

Implications for the Korean headquarters

When Korean food and cafe franchises consider entering Vietnam, partnering with travel agencies and hotels could be more effective than standalone operations, as integration with travel flows can accelerate brand awareness.

9. Philippines | McDonald’s 'Tour de McDo'
bike event and cyclist‑only menu

On November 23, McDonald’s Philippines launched the 'Tour de McDo' riding event in Rizal’s Antipolo to celebrate National Bike Day. The campaign, part of the company’s ESG program Green & Good, covered popular cycling routes in the capital region, Laguna, Pampanga, and Iloilo, linking the bike community with the brand.

Participants received a set menu of golden curry chicken, eggs, rice, and orange juice at an app‑exclusive price (about 41% off), creating a 'post‑ride recovery meal at McDo' routine. The strategy positions McDonald’s in the Philippines as more than fast food—emphasizing health, sustainability, and community.

Implications for the Korean headquarters

This example is useful when the Korean headquarters plans O2O promotions tied to sports and hobby communities. Designing a year‑long community operation rather than a single campaign naturally reinforces brand image.

This Week’s Insight

Globally, the restaurant market is seeing one side...Experience‑focused flagship and concept restaurants, and brand extensions that blend tourism, community, and ESG.This is vibrant, while on the other side...Rent, labor and cost pressures are driving restructurings and price hikes.These trends are unfolding simultaneously.

From the perspective of Korean franchisor headquarters, this week’s trends can be distilled into four key points.

Four focus areas for Korean headquarters to assess

① Rather than expanding store count,secure per‑store profitability and financial safety nets.

② Through partnerships with hotels, travel agencies, and local communities,design ‘tourism + F&B + brand experience’ packages.

⑱ Realign capital and organizational structuresinto a mid‑to‑long‑term roadmap that matches the growth stage.

④ When implementing price increases,employ sophisticated pricing strategies—leveraging memberships and promotions—to minimize churn.

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Article 1 Purpose

These Terms of Use govern the conditions and operational rules for using the services of "Site Name" (hereinafter referred to as "the Site").

Article 2 Definitions

Key terms used in these terms are defined as follows.

1. Member: An individual who agrees to these terms, provides personal information to register as a member, enters into a usage agreement with the Site, and uses the Site.
2. Usage Agreement: The contract concluded between the Site and a member regarding Site usage.
3. Member ID ("ID"): A unique combination of letters and numbers assigned to each member for identification and service access.
4. Password: The combination of letters and numbers selected by the member to verify identity and protect the member’s rights.
5. Operator: The entity that creates and manages the website offering the service.
6. Termination: The act of a member canceling the usage agreement.

Article 3 Supplemental Rules

The Operator may issue separate operational policies as needed; if these policies overlap with these terms, the operational policies will take precedence.

Article 4 Formation of the Usage Agreement

1. The usage agreement is formed when a person registers as a member, agrees to these terms, and the Operator accepts the registration request.
2. Anyone registering as a member indicates agreement to these terms by reading them during the Site registration process and selecting the "I Agree" option.

Article 5 Service Use Application

1. Individuals registering as members must provide all required information requested by the Site (such as user ID, password, nickname, etc.).
2. Members who use another person’s information, submit false data, or otherwise fail to provide authentic personal information have no rights to use the Site and may be subject to penalties under applicable law.

Section 6: Privacy Policy

The operator does not retain members' passwords provided at sign‑up, and related matters are governed by the site’s privacy policy.
The operator strives to protect members’ personal information, including registration data, in accordance with applicable laws.

Member privacy is handled according to the privacy policy set by applicable law and the site.

However, the operator assumes no responsibility for information exposed due to the member’s own fault.
If a member posts or distributes illegal content—such as material that violates public morals or national security—the operator may, upon request from relevant authorities, review the member’s data and submit it to those authorities.

Section 7: Operator Obligations

(1) When a member’s opinion or complaint is deemed legitimate, the operator must address it as promptly as possible. If personal circumstances prevent immediate action, the operator will make a best effort to follow up with a notice, message, or email after the fact.
(2) To ensure continuous and stable site operation, the operator may require the site to repair or restore equipment without delay when failures or losses occur. In cases of force majeure or unavoidable circumstances affecting the site or operator, site operation may be temporarily suspended.

Section 8: Member Obligations

(1) Members must comply with the terms of this agreement, all site policies, notices, operational guidelines, and applicable laws, and must not engage in actions that interfere with site operations or damage the site’s reputation.
(2) Unless expressly authorized by the site, members may not transfer, gift, or use their service rights or contractual status as collateral to any third party.
(3) Users must exercise great care in managing their ID and password and may not allow third parties to use their ID without the operator’s or site’s consent.
(4) Members must not infringe the intellectual property rights of the operator, the site, or any third party.

Section 9: Service Availability

(1) Service is generally available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, unless technical or operational constraints arise. The site may temporarily suspend service for scheduled maintenance, upgrades, or replacements on dates and times announced by the site. Planned interruptions will be posted on the site’s homepage, so please check regularly.
(2) The site may also suspend service temporarily or permanently without prior notice in the following situations:
- Urgent system inspections, upgrades, replacements, or malfunctions
- Force‑majeure events such as national emergencies, power outages, or natural disasters
- When a telecommunications provider ceases service as stipulated by the Telecommunications Business Act
- If excessive traffic or other issues disrupt normal service use, the service may be unavailable.
⑱ When service interruptions occur as described in the preceding clause, the site will notify members in advance via announcements or similar notices. If the interruption is caused by circumstances beyond the site’s control and advance notice is impossible, the site will provide notice after the fact.

Article 10 – Termination of Service Use

① A member who wishes to terminate the usage agreement with the site must submit a cancellation request online personally. Separately, termination of the site usage agreement itself must be handled independently of the site access termination.
② Upon submission of the cancellation request, any site‑related programs provided by the site are automatically removed from the member‑management interface, and the operator can no longer view the applicant’s information.

Article 11 – Restriction of Service Use

Members may not engage in any of the following actions. If a member does, the site may restrict the member’s service access, take appropriate legal measures, terminate the usage agreement, or suspend service for a specified period.
① Registering false information during sign‑up or when updating member details.
② Interfering with another person’s use of the site or misappropriating their information.
⑱ Impersonating site administrators, staff, or affiliates.
④ Infringing on the personal rights or intellectual property of the site or any third party, or disrupting business operations.
â‘€ Illegitimately using another member’s ID.
â‘„ Collecting, storing, or disclosing another member’s personal data without their consent.
⑩ Engaging in conduct that can be objectively judged as criminal.
⑧ Any other actions that violate applicable laws and regulations.

Article 12 – Management of Posted Content

① The operator is responsible for managing and operating all posts and materials on the site. The operator must continuously monitor for inappropriate content, and upon discovering or receiving a report of such content, must delete it and issue a warning to the member who posted it.
Members are responsible for the content they post; therefore, members must not publish material that violates these terms of use.
② If a public authority such as the Information and Communication Ethics Committee issues a corrective request, the operator may delete or relocate posts without the member’s prior consent.
⑱ The criteria for determining inappropriate content are as follows.
- When the content severely insults or defames another member or a third party.
- When distributing or linking to content that violates public order or good morals.
- When the content encourages illegal copying or hacking.
- When it is advertising intended for profit.
- When the content is objectively recognized as being linked to criminal activity.
- When it infringes copyright or other rights of other users or third parties.
- When it is deemed to violate other applicable laws.
- If the site or its operator receives a request from a third party to halt a post because of alleged defamation, intellectual‑property infringement, or similar rights violations, the post may be temporarily taken down (transmission stopped). The site will follow any lawsuit, settlement, or other decision by the relevant authority that is submitted concerning the requester and the poster.

Article 13 Retention of Posts

If the site operator must discontinue the site due to unavoidable circumstances, they will give members prior notice and make reasonable efforts to facilitate the transfer of posts.

Article 14 Copyright in Posts

① The copyright of a post submitted by a member on the site belongs to that member. The site may not commercially use the post without the poster’s consent, except for non‑profit purposes, and the site retains the right to display the content within the service.
② Members may not commercially use materials posted on the service, such as by arbitrarily processing or selling information obtained through the service.
⑱ The operator may delete, relocate, or reject registration of any content posted or uploaded by a member that is judged to fall under any of the items listed in Article 12, without prior notice.

Article 15 Liability for Damages

① All civil and criminal liability arising from the site is primarily the responsibility of the member.
② The site will not compensate for damages that result from force majeure events such as natural disasters, or from the member’s intentional or negligent actions.

Article 16 Disclaimer

① The operator is exempt from liability for any loss of expected benefit, or for damages arising from the selection or use of service materials provided by the site.
② The operator is exempt from liability for interruptions caused by the site’s service infrastructure or by telecommunications services provided by other carriers, and any damages related to the site’s service infrastructure are governed by the site’s terms of use.
The operator assumes no responsibility for any material that members store, post, or transmit.
If service disruptions occur due to a member’s fault, the operator is not liable.
The operator is not responsible for any activities—such as data transmission or other community interactions—between members or between members and third parties, whether inside or outside the service.
The operator does not guarantee the authenticity, reliability, or accuracy of material posted or transmitted by members, nor any content that members can obtain from this site.
If members trade goods or conduct other transactions through the service, the operator is not liable for any resulting damages.
The operator bears no responsibility for any disputes that arise between members or between members and third parties, unless the operator is at fault.
The operator is not liable for member losses caused by system failures during equipment maintenance, inspections, repairs, or replacements, or software operation, unless caused by intentional wrongdoing or gross negligence; nor for failures due to third‑party attacks, undiscovered viruses, or other force‑majeure events beyond the operator’s control.

Supplementary Provisions

These terms <Effective from the site launch date>.

Privacy Policy

MS Venter (hereinafter referred to as “the Company”) establishes and publishes these privacy processing guidelines to protect data subjects’ personal information under Article 30 of the Personal Information Protection Act and to address related concerns promptly and smoothly.

Article 1 (Purpose of Personal Information Processing)
The Company processes personal information for the purposes listed below. Collected data will not be used for any other purpose, and if the purpose changes, the Company will obtain separate consent in accordance with Article 18 of the Personal Information Protection Act and take any other required actions.

1. Website membership registration and management
Personal information is processed to confirm membership intent, verify identity for member‑only services, maintain and manage membership status, conduct limited identity verification, prevent fraudulent use, verify parental consent for children under 14, provide notices, handle inquiries, and address complaints.

2. Provision of goods or services
Personal information is processed for product delivery, service provision, sending contracts and invoices, delivering content, offering personalized services, identity and age verification, payment processing and settlement, and debt collection.

3. Complaint handling
Personal information is processed to verify the complainant’s identity, confirm the nature of the complaint, contact for fact‑finding, and notify the outcome of the handling process.

Article 2 (Processing and Retention Period of Personal Data)
The Company processes and retains personal data only for the period required by law or the period consented to by the data subject at the time of collection.
The specific processing and retention periods are as follows:

1. Website membership registration and management: until the member withdraws from the website.
However, if any of the following circumstances apply, data will be retained until the circumstance ends:
1) Ongoing investigations or inquiries related to violations of applicable laws: until the investigation or inquiry concludes.
2) Outstanding creditor‑debtor relationships arising from website use: until those relationships are fully settled.

Article 5 (Rights of Users and Their Legal Representatives and How to Exercise Them)

Data subjects may exercise any of the following privacy rights with the Company at any time.
1. Request to access personal data
2. Request correction of errors or inaccuracies
3. Request deletion
4. Request suspension of processing
These rights can be exercised by submitting a written request, calling, emailing, or faxing the Company, and the Company will act without undue delay.
If a data subject requests correction or deletion of personal data, the Company will refrain from using or disclosing that data until the correction or deletion is completed.
The rights in paragraph 1 may also be exercised through a legal representative or an authorized agent, provided a power of attorney in the format specified in Appendix 11 of the Enforcement Rules of the Personal Data Protection Act is submitted.
Data subjects must not violate applicable laws, including the Personal Data Protection Act, by infringing on the personal data or privacy of themselves or others that the Company processes.

Article 6 (Categories of Personal Data Processed)
The Company processes the following categories of personal data:

1. Website membership registration and management
Required items: company name, full name, title, phone number, email
Optional items: referral source, awareness channel

2. Provision of goods or services
Required items: company name, full name, title, phone number, email
Optional items: referral source, awareness channel

3. During the use of internet services, the following personal data items may be automatically generated and collected.
IP address, cookies, MAC address, service usage records, visit logs, error usage records, etc.

Article 7 (Destruction of Personal Data)
① The company shall promptly destroy personal data that is no longer needed due to the expiration of the retention period or achievement of the processing purpose.
② If, after the consented retention period has expired or the processing purpose has been achieved, the personal data must be retained under other laws, the company shall preserve it by transferring it to a separate database or storing it in a different location.
⑱ The procedures and methods for destroying personal data are as follows.
1. Destruction Procedure
The company selects the personal data subject to destruction and, with approval from the company’s personal data protection officer, destroys the data.
2. Destruction Methods
The company destroys electronically stored personal data using methods such as low‑level formatting to make records unrecoverable, and destroys paper records by shredding or incineration.

Article 8 (Measures to Ensure the Security of Personal Data)
The company implements the following measures to ensure the security of personal data.
1. Administrative measures: establishment and implementation of internal management plans, regular employee training, etc.
2. Technical measures: management of access rights to personal data processing systems, installation of access control systems, encryption of unique identifiers, etc., and installation of security programs.
and other encryption, security program installations.
3. Physical measures: access control for computer rooms, data storage rooms, etc.

Article 9 (Installation, operation, and refusal of automatic personal data collection devices)
(1) The company uses cookies to store user information and retrieve it as needed in order to provide personalized services.
(2) A cookie is a small piece of data sent by the server (http) that runs the website to the user's browser, and it may also be stored on the user's hard drive.
a. Purpose of using cookies: to analyze each service and website visited by the user, usage patterns, popular search terms, secure connection status, etc., and to deliver optimized information to the user.
b. Installing, operating, and refusing cookies: Tools menu at the top of the web browser>Internet Options>You can refuse cookie storage by adjusting the options in the privacy menu.
c. Refusing cookie storage may make it difficult to use personalized services.

Article 10 (Personal Data Protection Officer)
(1) The company designates a Personal Data Protection Officer who oversees all personal data processing activities and handles data subject complaints and remediation as follows.

▶ Personal Data Protection Officer
Name: O Manseok
Title: Representative
Contact: 1544-7120
※ This connects to the personal data protection department.

▶ Personal Data Protection Department
Department: Development Team
Contact Person: Lee Seongjae
Contact: adffewr@benter.co.kr

Data subjects may direct any privacy‑related inquiries, complaints, or requests for redress arising from use of the company’s services to the privacy officer or the responsible department. The company will respond and address such inquiries without delay.

Article 11 (Request for Access to Personal Data)
Data subjects may submit a request to access their personal data under Article 35 of the Personal Information Protection Act to the department below. The company will strive to process access requests promptly.

▶ Department for Receiving and Processing Access Requests
Department: Operations Team
Contact: O Chae‑hyun
Email: boram03@benter.co.kr

Article 12 (Remedies for Rights Violations)
Data subjects may contact the following agencies for redress or counseling regarding personal data breaches.

▶ Personal Data Breach Reporting Center (operated by Korea Internet & Security Agency)
- Scope: Reporting personal data breach incidents, requesting counseling
- Website: privacy.kisa.or.kr
- Phone: 118 (no area code needed)
- Address: 3rd Floor, Personal Data Breach Reporting Center, 9 Jinheung‑gil, Naju‑si, Jeollanam‑do 58324 (Bitgaram‑dong 301‑2)

▶ Personal Data Dispute Mediation Committee
- Scope: Filing personal data dispute mediation requests, collective dispute mediation (civil resolution)
- Website: www.kopico.go.kr
- Phone: 1833‑6972 (no area code needed)
- Address: 4th Floor, Government Complex Seoul, 209 Sejong‑daero, Jongno‑gu, Seoul 03171

▶ Supreme Prosecutors' Office Cyber Crime Investigation Unit: 02‑3480‑3573 (www.spo.go.kr)
▶ Cyber Safety Division, National Police Agency: 182 (http://cyberbureau.police.go.kr)

Article 13 (Implementation and Amendment of the Privacy Policy)
This privacy policy takes effect on January 31, 2024.