Busan is good

Busan City Recruits 10 Restaurants for “On-Site Small Business Problem Solver” Program

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The Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) and the Busan Economic Promotion Agency (President Song Bok-cheol) announced the start of recruitment for 10 local food service businesses to participate in the “2025 On-Site Small Business Problem Solver Support Project,” open from June 18 to July 1.

The program aims to help small business owners who are currently experiencing stagnant sales despite having business potential by providing customized consulting and support to improve business environments.

○ Since its inception in 2020, the program has supported small businesses in various sectors:

• ●Bakery and coffee shops (2020)

• ●Meal kits and ready-made foods (2021–2022)

• ●Rebranding for veteran business owners (2023)

• ●Food service businesses (2024)

This year’s target—small food service businesses—ranks first among the 100 most closely related daily life industries in Korea (based on National Tax Service data) and is characterized by ease of entry and high turnover. The City aims to discover and support restaurants with excellent taste and distinctive quality, helping them grow into signature gourmet destinations in Busan.

Selected businesses will receive on-site diagnostic consulting from field experts and up to KRW 9 million in support for improvements. Promotional content will also be produced to showcase their transformation and success stories.

○ Last year, 10 food service businesses received expert consultations (by star chefs Lee Won-il, food researcher Hong Sin-ae, etc.), improvement grants, and marketing support—resulting in a 35% average sales increase.

○ Examples include:

• ●“Tonseom” (Yeongdo-gu), which reinvented itself as a top pork cutlet restaurant in Busan, recording a 71% sales increase

• ●“Onogoro” (Dongnae-gu), which became a viral Japanese-style curry/donburi restaurant after a visit from Chef Lee Won-il, now known as a trendy hotspot

Any small business in Busan that has operated in the food service industry for at least one year is eligible to apply. Applications can be submitted online through the Busan Small Business Support Center website (bsbsc.kr) from June 18 to July 1.

○ Ten businesses will be selected by an expert evaluation panel based on specific criteria.

○ For more information, visit the Small Business Support Center website or contact the Busan Economic Promotion Agency at ☎ 1833-3665.

Kim Bong-cheol, Director-General of the Digital Economy Bureau of Busan, stated, “We expect this project to help competitive yet struggling small businesses—affected by high interest rates and inflation—emerge as key players in their communities and boost local sales. We encourage active participation from Busan’s small business owners.”