[Exclusive] Lee Jang-woo Ventures into Dessert Business with ‘Buchang Bakery’ Walnut Snack Brand
[Seoul Economy] Actor Lee Jang-woo is venturing into the dessert business. Following his ventures into udon and blood sausage soup restaurants, he is opening a new walnut snack store.
According to industry insiders on the 18th, Lee Jang-woo will start operating the walnut snack brand ‘Buchang Bakery’ on the 22nd at the Sweet Park located at the basement level 1 of Shinsegae Department Store in Gangnam.
Currently running udon and soup restaurants, Lee Jang-woo has collaborated with food content company FG, which co-planned the KBS variety show ‘Pop-up Landing Operation’, to create the walnut snack brand Buchang Bakery.
The new brand by Lee Jang-woo draws inspiration from the original Buchang Bakery, which was established in 1963 in Gyeongju. Known for selling bread, walnut snacks, and various traditional sweets, it disappeared after the 1990s. However, it has been reborn this year with a retro-inspired makeover.
Lee Jang-woo has not only served as a model for Buchang Bakery but has also been actively involved in the business development and planning process. Notably, he contributed ideas across all stages of development, including dough and filling preparation.
One of Buchang Bakery’s signature items, ‘Uyuni Salt Walnut Snack’, uses salt sourced from the Uyuni Salt Flats. In addition to this, Buchang Bakery plans to sell high milk content soft serve ice cream and a smooth coffee-flavored drink called ‘Buchang Latte’.
Lee Kyung-won, FG CEO and the grandson of Buchang Bakery’s founder, stated, “After about a year of development and research with Lee Jang-woo, we are excited to launch this new brand. We are currently discussing entering major national regions and plan to expand our outlets to reach more customers.”
Meanwhile, Jang-woo, known for his foodie persona from various entertainment shows, runs udon restaurant ‘Ubul Restaurant’ and soup restaurant ‘Hosuk Village’. Recently, he was chosen as the model for instant meals like lunch boxes and triangular gimbap at convenience store Seven Eleven, where he also launched his own developed lunch boxes.