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Busan Metropolitan City to Launch Full-Scale “Beyond B-Star” Project to Foster Entrepreneurial Small Businesses

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it will launch in earnest the “Beyond B-Star: Nopo and Hippo” project, aimed at strengthening the competitiveness of small businesses in the local food and beverage (F&B) sector.

“Beyond B-Star” is a growth program designed to support Busan’s local brands in gaining competitiveness in both domestic and global markets. The 2026 edition will be carried out under the theme of collaboration between “Nopo” and “Hippo.”

A total of 15 brands—five “Nopo” teams and ten “Hippo” teams—have joined the project. The initiative will be promoted based on collaboration among Busan’s representative F&B brands that combine tradition with growth potential.

This project includes five “Nopo” teams—restaurants that have been in operation for over 30 years or represent the region’s culinary heritage—and ten “Hippo” teams, which are trendy F&B establishments. An orientation session was held for all participating teams.

The “Nopo” participants include Naeho Naengmyeon, the originator of Korea’s first wheat noodles; Sinbalwon, a dumpling specialty restaurant preserving third-generation Chinese culinary craftsmanship; Deokhwa Myeongran, which has led the modernization of the pollock roe industry; Oksuk Palbok Tongdak, carrying on a 40-year tradition; and Amisan, known for its hotel-style Chinese cuisine.

The collaborating “Hippo” participants include Shunsai Kubo, listed in the Michelin Bib Gourmand; Tarako Soba, which offers dishes using pollock roe; Yakitori Haegong, a yakitori specialty restaurant; as well as Peopleworks, Seoridan, Cor Pasta Bar, Jis, Flying Dragon, Dosi Crab, and Chapel Street—popular F&B brands in Busan with strong local followings.

A key feature of the project is its collaborative structure, combining businesses with established tradition and brand competitiveness with brands that bring youthful sensibilities and planning capabilities. In particular, many of the participating “Hippo” brands are led by young entrepreneurs, who are expected to energize the project with new ideas and strong execution.

Participating brands will jointly develop menus by combining traditional techniques with modern sensibilities and produce collaborative content.

Beyond simple collaboration, the project is expected to create synergy among local brands by integrating know-how and content, thereby establishing a foundation for sustainable growth.

The initiative will not be limited to short-term promotion but will be implemented as a long-term growth model, linking content production, menu development, pop-up and permanent operations, and expansion into overseas markets.

The project will be operated by Park Sang-hwa, CEO of Food Travel Co., Ltd., who has led regional F&B market initiatives such as Busan Port Village and Christmas Village, as well as chef collaborations and brand experience expansion projects.

The project will focus on expanding Busan’s culinary cultural assets into brand experiences, creating new gastronomic value by combining the tradition of long-established businesses with the creativity of trendy brands, and establishing a foundation for the global expansion of local F&B brands.

Kim Kyung-duk, Assistant Mayor of Digital Economy Office, stated, “This project will serve as an opportunity to connect Busan’s long-standing culinary heritage with new trends, building a sustainable growth ecosystem and advancing the branding of the local F&B sector. We will continue to actively discover and nurture differentiated local brands to deliver a message of hope to small business owners across Busan.”