The Busan Metropolitan Government is moving to strengthen the competitiveness of the city's dining industry by connecting time-honored restaurants with trendy food and beverage brands. The city aims to build a collaboration-based brand growth model that goes beyond simple financial support.
Busan announced Thursday it will fully launch the "Beyond B-Star: Nopo and Hippo" project to boost the competitiveness of local food and beverage (F&B) small business owners.
The program supports the domestic and international market entry of Busan's local brands. A total of 15 brands are participating — five "nopo" (traditional restaurants with more than 30 years of history) teams and 10 "hippo" (trendy, hip restaurants) teams. The core objective is to generate synergy through a collaborative structure that combines tradition with creativity.
The nopo group includes Naeho Naengmyeon, Sinbalwon, Deokhwa Myeongran, Oksuk Palbok Tongdak and Amisan. The hippo group features brands with established local followings such as Syunsaikubo, Tarakosoba, Yakitori Haegong, Peoplewoks and Seoridan. Many of the hippo participants are led by young entrepreneurs, who are expected to bring fresh ideas and strong execution.
Participating businesses will pursue joint menu development and content creation that blend traditional techniques with modern sensibilities. Rather than stopping at short-term promotion, the project is designed as a long-term growth model encompassing pop-up store operations, permanent retail locations and overseas expansion.
Food Travel, a food and travel content company, will oversee overall project operations including brand collaboration and content planning. The focus is on expanding Busan's culinary heritage into new gastronomic experiences and building a foundation for local brands to enter global markets.
"Through this project, we will accelerate the branding of the local F&B industry and build a sustainable growth ecosystem centered on small business owners," said Kim Bong-cheol, director general of Busan's Digital Economy Bureau.