Emart24, 7‑Eleven, Nongshim, Mom's Touch… Turning chef IP into experiential spending
Food retailers are doubling down on star-chef partnerships. Beyond mere product launches, brands are pairing “trustworthy flavor” with compelling backstories to create memorable dining experiences and win over consumers.
Emart24 is sharpening its convenience-store gourmet play through chef collaborations. After breakout hits with Chef Son Jong‑won and Chef Park Eun‑young, the chain recently added first-generation French chef Park Hyo‑nam to expand its roster.
Indeed, the Son Jong‑won line sold over 300,000 units within 40 days, becoming the fastest-selling and highest-selling chef collaboration in the brand’s history.
Chef Park Eun‑young’s "Goddess Mala Xiangguo" topped ready-meal sales within a week of launch, quickly becoming a signature hit. From December through February, sales of chef-collaboration items jumped fourfold year over year.
Riding that momentum, Emart24 plans to elevate convenience-store meals to near-restaurant quality. Highlights include Son Jong‑won’s "Day Off" series—casual dishes a chef would actually enjoy on his day off—reimagined Chinese-inspired offerings from Chef Park Eun‑young, and inventive ready meals from Chef Park Hyo‑nam.
7‑Eleven has differentiated itself with multi-industry collaborations that pair star chefs with partners outside the food sector. Its Jung Ho‑young Takamatsu Udon—developed with Jin Air and Ottogi—aims to capture the authentic taste of Sanuki udon after on-site research in the region.
Earlier collaborations with brands like Eastar Jet and SK Hynix sold hundreds of thousands of units quickly, so 7‑Eleven is doubling down on experience-driven partnerships that lean into storytelling to match evolving consumer tastes.
Nongshim is also spotlighting star chefs in product marketing. The company tapped Chinese-cuisine master Chef Hu Deokjuk as the new face of its Jjapagetti brand and rolled out a co-developed recipe called "La Cho Jjapagetti." The recipe will appear on packaging so consumers can recreate the chef’s flavors at home.
Mom's Touch introduced a three-item Chef Collection with Chef Hu Deokjuk, blending Chinese flavors into its burgers and chicken. Signature items like the Ssai Burger and Big Ssai Boneless were boosted with the chef’s signature sauces, raising the perceived quality of standard QSR offerings.
Importantly, Mom's Touch’s headquarters is covering all collaboration-related costs, easing the financial burden on franchisees while sharpening the competitiveness of the new menu.
Industry insiders say these star-chef tie-ups are spreading because they align with modern consumers who value emotional payoff and memorable experiences over simple bargains. The strategy moves beyond taste alone: brands are marrying a chef’s credibility and story to offer fresh, experience-led options.
An industry official said, “Chef collaborations boost product credibility while sparking buzz and amplifying reach. Expect fiercer competition as companies pursue differentiated gourmet experiences through more chef and cross-industry partnerships.”
Kim Dong‑wook east@viva100.com
