Lagrillia opens in New Coex

SPC Group’s Italian Grill Restaurant Lagrillia opened a branch at the New Coex shopping mall in southern Seoul. The Italian grill and dessert restaurant has 122 seats with an open kitchen and an oven. According to SPC, the diner will serve 10 kinds of homemade dessert at the “dessert bar,” including tiramisu made with 100 percent mascarpone cheese, pana cota with Earl Grey tea, a grapefruit jelly made from freshly squeezed fruit and others. It will also feature gourmet burgers, steak and pasta a

May 6, 2014

Matching children to their musical talents

Dalgona Music Institute has the rare success story of finding a business opportunity in the 28.7 trillion won ($27.9 billion) private education market that is rapidly saturating. What started out as a small musical institute for kids two years ago is now looking to become a nationwide franchise that “helps children find their talents in music.” Its Banpo-dong headquarters in southern Seoul has 10 teachers, who are music majors, for around 70 students. “We don’t teach children to love music nor m

May 6, 2014

Mr. Pizza opens Nanjing store

Korean chain Mr. Pizza opened a restaurant on the eighth floor of the GE Department Store in Nanjing, China, on April 26. The store has 120 seats and an open kitchen, in which pizza chefs can be seen spinning pizza bases from dough, the company said. The store is the first restaurant to open through a joint venture set up in September 2013 between Mr. Pizza Korea Group and China’s Golden Eagle Group. The company is planning to open 10 more restaurants in China by the end of the year. (baejisook@

May 6, 2014

Commercial aviation business drives growth of KAI

SACHEON, South Gyeongsang Province ― The headquarters of Korea Aerospace Industries in Sacheon is alive with activity, boosted by recent orders not only from the defense sector but also from the world’s top two commercial aircraft makers ― Boeing and Airbus. As the country’s only plane manufacturer since its establishment in 1999, KAI produces all types of aircraft, ranging from supersonic advanced trainer jets to helicopters and drones. “The company is entering a growth phrase,” Ku Kwan-hyuk, a

May 6, 2014

McDonald’s releases McWings

McDonald’s Korea has released McWings, composed of fried chicken wings and a sweet chili sauce. The McWings are sold in two, four, or eight pieces for 2,000 won, 3,900 won, or 7,600 won, respectively. McDonald’s also released a Chicken Snack Pack, and a Double Chicken Box, in which the McWings are served alongside McNuggets or McSpicy Chicken Tenders. The McWing set, comprising four fried chicken wings, french fries and a soda, is priced at 4,900 won. (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)

May 6, 2014

Isungdang to open in Jamsil Lotte Department Store

Isungdang, the oldest bakery in Korea, has opened a branch in Jamsil Lotte Department Store in Seoul. Famous for its red bean paste bread and vegetable salad pastries, the bakery based in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, proved its popularity with its pop-up store event held in April last year at the department store’s headquarters in Sogong-dong, central Seoul. In order to keep its 69-year-old original taste, Isungdang built a factory near the bakery. “This is not just a branch, but will be a col

May 6, 2014

Cristiano Ronaldo models for TAG Heuer

Swiss luxury watchmaker TAG Heuer has appointed footballer Cristiano Ronaldo as its brand ambassador. The Real Madrid forward posed with the brand’s signature watches and new designs for its new promotional images. TAG Heuer model alumni include Hollywood stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz, tennis player Maria Sharapova and the late Formula One driver Ayrton Senna. (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)

May 6, 2014

Four mega-trends shaping the world

Despite global political volatility, uneven economic recovery and uncertainty over monetary policy, the S&P 500 Index, the gauge of large cap U.S. equities, rose 30 percent in 2013, its largest annual advance since 1997. Equities in developed regions outpaced those in emerging markets as well as commodities at a historic rate, while the end of a three-decade-long bull market in bonds produced losses in long-duration fixed income. This market behavior highlighted the importance not only of being

April 29, 2014

[Herald Interview] Kwangjuyo devoted to high-end Korean cuisine

Korean food is gaining popularity abroad and is acclaimed for being healthy, but there is a definite need to nurture high-end Korean culture and related products if the country really wants to globalize its food, according to a CEO who has devoted his life to promoting premium ceramics and liquor and enhancing Korean food culture. “Embracing the upscale parts can bring diversity and dynamicity to the culture, which is an essential factor to attract foreigners seeking something new,’’ Cho Tae-kwo

April 29, 2014

[Herald Interview] ‘Seoul hotels should seek premium edge’

The future of Korea’s hotel industry lies in “going upscale” to establish global and premium-brand hotels satisfying the needs of the spiraling number of business travelers to the country, an expert on the hospitality industry said. Despite the plethora of budget hotels targeting holidaymakers, the key will be to capture the business travelers who are less sensitive to economic ups and downs, said Akshay Kulkarni, regional director of hospitality at South and South-East Asia of Cushman & Wakefie

April 22, 2014

Face Shop pushes global expansion

For The Face Shop, global expansion will be high on the list of priorities this year as it seeks to mark new territory outside of the saturated Korean market. “The Face Shop will be driven to look outside of Korea,” said Park Eun-kyung, an analyst at Samsung Securities. In 2013, The Face Shop, owned by LG Household & Healthcare, saw sales rise about 20 percent on-year to a record high of 523 billion won ($503.7 million). The stellar performance was mainly thanks to a rise in overseas sales. Acco

April 22, 2014

Caffe Bene releases mugs for spring picnickers

Caffe Bene released four products for spring picnickers. The tumblers, mugs, glasses and picnic mats with a signature flower pattern will be sold at Caffe Bene outlets across the country as limited-edition items.The 380 milliliter tumbler costs 19,000 won; the stainless steel mug is 11,000 won; the 470 ml glass is 13,000 won and the picnic mat for two is priced at 15,000 won. (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)

April 22, 2014

Mr. Pizza to hold discount promotion

Mr. Pizza is giving 50 percent discounts to SK Telecom members on Fridays. The event continues through May 30, the company said. The maximum order eligible for the discount is 200,000 won. The discount may be used once a day. Of the discounted price, 15 percent will be taken from the user’s SKT membership points. (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)

April 22, 2014

Maeil Dairies releases Florida’s Natural juice

Maeil Dairies released Florida’s Natural juice, a brand of 100 percent fruit juice. It contains no additives, artificial colors or even added water, according to the company. The juice comes in two flavors ― orange and grapefruit. Florida’s Natural was established by a group of farmers in Florida 81 years ago and is now sold at 50 countries. (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)

April 22, 2014