On May 19th, Hubs Glitters went to CJ Foodville (CJ 푸드빌). Today, I’d like to introduce about CJ Foodville and the tour of CJ.
What is CJ Foodville?
You might be new of CJ Foodville. However, you might have seen VIPS (빕스) or TOUS les JOURS (뚜레쥬르) stores. That’s right. VIPS and TOUS les JOURS are one of the main brands of CJ Foodville. CJ Foodville Corporation started its business by opening a family restaurant business in 1994 and successfully launched western-style family restaurant VIPS in 1997. CJ Foodville has grown as a firm, splitting from CJ Corp. in 2000. CJ Foodville currently runs 14 restaurant & franchise brands and multi-restaurant culture spaces ‘CJ Foodworld’. Restaurant brands include steak house ‘VIPS’, global Korean food brand ‘Bibigo’, etc. Franchise brands include bakery ‘TOUS les JOURS’, dessert cafe ‘A Twosome Place (투썸플레이스)’ which has 1,800 stores nationwide. CJ Foodville also launched ‘CJ Foodworld’, a food culture theme park, where customers can experience 17 brands of CJ Foodville and CJ CheilJedang at one place. CJ Foodville has extended its business overseas to become a leading food service company. CJ Foodville’s brands, TOUS les JOURS, Bibigo (비비고), etc have entered, the United States of America, China, Vietnam, Phillippines, Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia, etc to play a key role in leading global food service business.
About the tour of CJ CheilJedang Center (CJ 제일제당센터)
We visited at CJ CheilJedang Center and have a look around. CJ CheilJedang Center locates near Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station (동대문역사문화공역). On B1 floor, there is a CJ FoodWorld. It is the first CJ Foodworld that opened in 2011. You can enjoy various CJ Foodville brands like VIPS, Bibigo, Cheiljemyunso, etc. On 1st floor, there is a TOUS les JOURS. It is special compared to others because you can enjoy new kinds of bread only in CJ CheilJedang Center. There are some products that should be tested to customers. Therefore, you can enjoy some new bread only in here. On the 2nd floor, there are some amenities for CJ employees, like kindergarten, fitness center, etc. On the 3rd floor, there is Food R&D center. Much new products is researched and made on this floor. We can watch laboratories and it was different from normal laboratory and that point was interesting. Also, there is a place for testing. Many testers were eating the food of CJ Foodville and testing their new products. Food R&D center was a very remarkable place and the most important place in the tour. During the tour, we could see how staffs are working to provide better quality food and beverage, satisfying customers.
After the tour of CJ CheilJedang Center
After the tour, CJ Foodville executive team introduced the company to us. They explained from their companies and brands to their strategies for global market. Their efforts for entering the global market was very remarkable. Especially, using their brand Bibigo, a healthy fresh Korean Kitchen was impressive. I really hoped for success of Bibigo because expanding their business is also closely related to globalize our Korean kitchen. It was a good time for me and other members of company visit that we could learn company’s strategy of expanding their business, especially global market. Also, the executive team of CJ Foodville introduced their business to us friendly and listen carefully what we ask and our opinion. After Q&A time, we had dinner at VIPS. CJ offered us dinner and it was delicious. Especially, their steak was awesome and I could remind why VIPS is one of the best western restaurant franchise brand in South Korea. It was a valuable time for us. We just know several brands of CJ Foodville before the tour. After the tour, we could learn CJ Foodville in detail and also some business strategies which we learn in our school.
All pictures provided courtesy of HUBS Glitters
Article by Yongshin from Korea, a Junior in Business Administration
myHUBS 
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