Theborn Korea Expands North American Business with MOU Signed with Canada’s Sunray Group

Local Production of Hong Kong Banjeom Sauce Planned in the United States

Theborn Korea announced on August 18 that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Sunray Group—one of Canada’s leading hotel and real estate companies—for collaboration in the foodservice business. The company also revealed that it has been in discussions with major local food distribution companies to expand sales and the distribution network for TBK sauces.

Paek Jongwon, CEO of Theborn Korea, unveiled a global business strategy last September in conjunction with the TBK sauce launch, and this roadmap is now materializing into concrete overseas ventures such as international expansion of restaurant brands, local production of sauces, and the securing of local distribution channels.

Sunray Group operates approximately 80 hotels under global brands such as Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt across Canada. Under this MOU, the two companies will convert Sunray Group’s existing restaurants in Markham—a key area in the Greater Toronto Area—into Theborn Korea’s foodservice brands, and will develop a detailed plan for brand selection and store operations.

Paek Jongwon, CEO of The Born Korea (left in the photo), and Ratan Ray Gupta, CEO of Sunray Group, are taking a commemorative photo after signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for cooperation in the foodservice business. Provided by The Born Korea.

Starting with the Markham project, the two companies are also considering introducing additional Theborn Korea restaurant brands in other hotels and commercial facilities owned by Sunray Group. At the same time, Theborn Korea plans to leverage Sunray’s facilities and operational networks to create a model for overseas expansion that can accommodate multiple stores and brands.

During his recent business trip to Canada, CEO Paek met with executives from two major food distribution companies to promote the local distribution of Theborn Korea products, including TBK sauces.

First, with a leading Korean-Canadian food distributor, discussions included plans for an in-store promotional event showcasing Theborn Korea products, operating a food court pop-up store, and developing new menu items using TBK sauces at directly managed restaurants. There are also ongoing talks to expand sales of TBK sauces via the distributor’s restaurant network.

In a separate meeting with another large Canadian food distributor, the focus was on expanding local distribution and sales of TBK sauces. CEO Paek discussed ways to leverage the distributor’s network to supply TBK sauces to the Canadian market, and is also considering expanding the product lineup depending on sales performance and consumer feedback.

In particular, the strategy is to go beyond B2B sauces for restaurant use and widen the scope to products that local consumers can purchase directly, thereby establishing a solid foundation for TBK sauce sales throughout Canada. Theborn Korea also plans to pursue further business partnerships, including the development of new products and expanded sales through local distribution channels.

In the United States, Theborn Korea is collaborating with a global food company to begin local production of the Hong Kong Banjeom B2B sauce. The first product to be manufactured is the tangsuyuk (sweet and sour) sauce, with plans to expand local production to other main sauces used in Theborn Korea restaurant brands and supply them to local markets.

Theborn Korea aims to use the partner company’s U.S. production facility as a key supply base for expansion in North America. By producing goods locally, the company plans to reduce logistics costs and supply lead times, thereby establishing a stable supply system to support further restaurant expansion and distribution initiatives in both the United States and Canada.

The company is also pursuing joint development of Home Meal Replacement (HMR) products aimed at North American consumers. The goal is to create products tailored to local tastes and consumption patterns, and to use the partner company’s production and distribution networks to expand into the general consumer market across North America.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.