Three years after R&D center launch, company expands support across dining and food service

Researchers work on product development at CJ Freshway's R&D center. [CJ Freshway]
Researchers work on product development at CJ Freshway's R&D center. [CJ Freshway]

CJ Freshway said Thursday that sales of products tailored for restaurant franchises have grown an average of 3.5 times per year over the three years since its research and development center launched.

The CJ Freshway R&D center brings together specialists in product development, menu planning and manufacturing research. It translates a brand's proprietary recipes into ready-to-cook products for use in stores and designs new menu items. Since opening in June 2023, the center has introduced more than 800 new products.

On the restaurant side, the center develops exclusive sauces for individual franchise brands, producing more than 1,000 sauce recipes each year. Notable examples include the tteokbokki sauce for Stella Tteokbokki and the Witch Soup for Salaria, a salad-focused franchise.

For the food service sector, the center also develops products that streamline kitchen operations — among them pre-trimmed, pre-seasoned meat products such as soy-sauce bulgogi, as well as base stocks used in soups and stews.

This year, the company established a Culinary Science Team to strengthen on-site verification. Researchers with professional culinary backgrounds use data to assess actual conditions in restaurant and food service kitchens.

CJ Freshway offers a one-stop solution covering everything from product and menu planning through research, production, supply and delivery, drawing on company-wide collaboration among its R&D center, product and sales teams. For franchise clients expanding overseas, the company also proposes specialized products that reflect local ingredients, food culture, and cooking and retail environments.

"We will continue to expand customized solutions that reflect on-site demand, contributing to our clients' operational efficiency and menu competitiveness," a CJ Freshway official said.


soho0902@heraldcorp.com