Han Min-kwan Shares Secrets of Successful Burger Business

On the March 23 episode of KBS2's 'Boss's Ears Are Donkey Ears' (사장님 귀는 당나귀 귀), Kim Byung-hyun, known for his struggles with business closures, received a surprise inspection from Park Myung-soo at his newly opened burger joint in Yangjae. After previously declaring a loss of 200 million KRW over three years, Kim opened this new location in a basement food court, despite concerns about its viability given the building's average of 2,000 daily customers.

During lunchtime, while many patrons enjoyed various meals, Kim's restaurant remained notably empty. Park Myung-soo stepped in as a 'savior,' tasting the menu and commenting, "It's delicious, even better than high-end burgers," but noted that the presentation was lacking.

Park emphasized the need for differentiation, stating, "Lowering prices won't necessarily lead to success. The food is good, but I don't think people will go out of their way to visit. The biggest drawback is the location; being at the end of the corridor is not ideal. You need to start strong and perfect from the beginning. If it were me, I wouldn't have opened here." In response, Kim mentioned plans to move to a more favorable location, but Park expressed frustration, saying, "You should have waited for a better spot from the start."

When Park requested to see the sales figures, it was revealed that while other nearby stores averaged about 120 transactions daily, Kim's burger shop only made 100,000 KRW in daily sales—just a tenth of the neighboring stores. Kim defended his initial opening figures of 146 transactions, but Park was unimpressed, stating, "That was just the opening rush. This is serious. If the food is good, why aren't sales increasing? I could do better myself!"

To provide Kim with some guidance, Park sought advice from comedian Han Min-kwan, who successfully runs a burger shop in Sinchon. Han lamented, "It's a shame that someone as talented as you in baseball is now in the burger business," before revealing that his shop generates nearly 100 million KRW monthly, with daily sales ranging from 150 to 250 burgers.

Han explained, "In Korea, if you're going to run a burger franchise, you need to stand out. We decided not to compete on price but to offer value. We have a promotion where if you buy one burger, you get another free all year round. We also invested in equipment to make our own patties, which helps reduce costs."

Reflecting on his own business journey, Han shared, "I learned the hard way after failing once. I opened a place in Sinchon with a monthly rent of 12 million KRW, selling each dish for 12,000 KRW, which was too high for a college area. I lost 140 million KRW because I didn't consider the student population during breaks and exam periods." Kim empathized, stating, "I thought I was doing okay, but I lost 200 million KRW in under three years." Han added, "It's not easy to run a business. You need to be well-prepared."

Han also critiqued Kim's approach, saying, "If you're going for premium, go all in. Being in the middle is ambiguous and can lead to mediocre taste. If sales are low, you need to change something to attract customers." When asked about the difference in income between comedy and business, Han candidly admitted, "Honestly, making money from broadcasting is much easier. Running a business is far more challenging."