The lunchbox franchise industry is entering a period of maturity and stability, driven by the established trend of single-person meals and convenient food delivery after the COVID-19 pandemic and the growing demand from offices and industrial complexes .
The domestic market size is estimated at approximately KRW 3.6 trillion (+4.2% YoY) in 2025. There are approximately 8,800 franchise stores, and the top three brands account for 52% of the market share.
Representative brands: Hansot Dosirak , Bon Dosirak , Obong Dosirak , Dosirak Kingdom , etc. Segmentation by price range and health food category.
division | Main items | characteristic |
|---|---|---|
| Ingredients | Rice, meat, and vegetable raw materials, side dishes, and sauces | HMR factory and group purchasing-centered supply chain |
| packaging materials | PP·PLA containers, wooden lunch boxes, and paper packages | Accelerating the transition to ESG materials (linked to public supply) |
| facility | Cooking appliances, rice cookers, and packing machines | Standardization of small cooking + rapid packaging systems |
| distribution | Mixed refrigerated and frozen delivery | Utilizing B2B platforms such as CJ Freshway and Hanwha GDC |
| Operational IT | POS·ERP + Delivery App·Corporate Meal Integration API | Expansion of reservation, group, and subscription payment modules |
field | Key Partners | characteristic |
|---|---|---|
| Food ingredients | CJ CheilJedang, Daesang Cheongjeongwon, Harim, and Pulmuone | Expanding OEM lunchbox side dish and sauce supply |
| packaging materials | Hanil Pack · Nature Pack · Samyoung EP | Eco-friendly PLA, paper, and refill packaging |
| distribution | CJ Freshway · Hyundai GLOVIS | Introducing a joint logistics hub to improve fresh food logistics efficiency. |
| IT · Operations | POSBANK · Kiosk Korea | Unmanned stores + AI demand forecasting |
Trend | detail |
|---|---|
| Demand from single-person and office workers remains strong | Focused on industrial complexes, universities, offices, and delivery services (58% of total sales) |
| HMR and convenience food competition | Competitive landscape with CU, GS25, and E-Mart 24 private brand lunch boxes. |
| Health and Diet Content | Low-salt, high-protein, diet-type lunchbox sales growth rate +12% |
| Delivery app/pickup conversion | Expanding reservation-based orders through Baedal Minjok and Coupang Eats |
| Competition in review quality | Temperature, photo, and packaging damage indicators directly affect review scores. |
AI inventory and demand forecasting system : Reduced waste rate from an average of 25% to 10% by linking weather, day of the week patterns, and order history.
Unmanned payment and smart pickup zones : More than 20% spread in densely populated office areas.
ESG packaging conversion rate of 37% , increasing linkage with public institution procurement.
Reduced damage to refrigerated products by introducing a hybrid logistics network and quick delivery .
item | average | note |
|---|---|---|
| Initial startup costs | 120 million to 180 million won | Cooking equipment, packaging, and interior design account for 65% |
| Monthly sales | 38 to 55 million won | Fluctuations in demand for lunch and overtime |
| Net profit margin | 15 ~ 20% | Delivery fee and labor cost variables |
| Payback period | 26 to 30 months | Shortening the number of days in unmanned stores |
Packaging material PP→PLA · Paper conversion continues (38% of all stores).
Strengthening disclosure of country of origin and nutritional information (linked to government labeling system).
Brands participating in 'Food Upcycle,' a surplus food redistribution platform, are expanding.
Electricity costs reduced by an average of 15% by introducing energy-saving cooking and refrigeration equipment.
risk | influence | react |
|---|---|---|
| Rising food prices | Cost ↑, Profit ↓ | Group purchasing, alternative diets, and AI unit price prediction |
| Delivery app fees | Decrease in operating profit | Transition to pickup and subscription models |
| Rising labor costs | Store operating expenses ↑ | Unmanned, kiosk, and simple cooking |
| Discard rate and quality issues | Review and Reputation Risk | AI demand forecasting and refrigerated distribution |
| Intensifying competition in the HMR market | Sales erosion | Entering the premium lunchbox and B2B corporate catering market |
characteristic | Δ(increase/decrease rate) | analysis |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic demand for lunch boxes | +3.9% | Settlement of office workers and students, and the entrenchment of the culture of eating alone |
| Premium and diet products | +8.1% | HMR · Healthy Food Fusion |
| unmanned store ratio | +18% | Night operations and staff reductions |
| ESG packaging conversion rate | +27% | Government policy + rising consumer awareness |
1️⃣ The mid- to long-term growth axis is "healthy, unmanned, and subscription-based lunchboxes . "
2️⃣ Franchise headquarters need to reduce costs by integrating supply chains and investing in AI inventory management
systems. 3️⃣ From the perspective of suppliers and startups, B2B opportunities should expand with eco-friendly packaging, easy-to-cook, and low-salt sauce lines
. 4️⃣ From a policy perspective, ESG procurement and food upcycling should be expanded.
One-line summary : The lunchbox franchise market is transitioning into a “data-based food culture platform” that
combines HMR, delivery, and unmanned systems , and future success factors depend on AI prediction, ESG packaging, and healthy food positioning .
