Super Kitchen

About Super Kitchen

Super Kitchen, operated by Supermakers, is a South Korean food company established in April 2017 by co-founders Lee Jin-ho and Choi Geon-young. Lee, who previously worked in banking and securities, founded a mobile fresh delivery startup that was later sold to Baedal Minjok. His experience as COO for Baemin Fresh and Baemin Chan led him to identify a market opportunity for an offline-focused, modern side dish (banchan) retailer.

The company operates a chain of retail stores selling a wide variety of pre-packaged, ready-to-eat side dishes, main dishes, and meals. Super Kitchen's business model is built on a centralized production system. All food items are prepared in a central kitchen facility in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, which has a daily production capacity of up to 100,000 packs. This approach ensures consistent quality, taste, and hygiene across all its locations. It also allows the retail stores to operate without in-store cooking facilities, simplifying operations to focus on sales and customer service, with some locations even offering unmanned, 24/7 service. The company utilizes IT and data analytics to manage its production, distribution, and inventory, keeping its food waste rates low.

Super Kitchen targets modern consumers who seek the convenience of store-bought meals without compromising on the quality of a home-cooked meal. The product lineup is diverse, including basic side dishes, main courses like Jeyuk-bokkeum (spicy stir-fried pork), specialty items, and a dedicated line for children's meals developed by chefs and nutritionists. The company operates over 100 stores, primarily in the Seoul metropolitan area, and has expanded its model to include franchises. Revenue is generated through sales at its physical stores and is expanding into online channels. Supermakers has successfully raised over 50 billion won in funding, including a Series B round that valued the company at 80 billion won, from investors such as Blue Run Ventures, We Ventures, and KT Investment.