"What is that sign?" I couldn't even read it, yet before I knew it, I became a regular... Touloujou (Torejyu) takes off overseas

"At first, I didn't even know how to pronounce 'Touloujou.' But after trying it once, I liked it so much that I come every single day now."

Alexa Mejia, who was selecting bread at a Touloujou store in La Habra, near Los Angeles, California, on the 21st of last month (local time), answered this way when asked why she became a regular. She started working nearby in November of last year and visited for the first time out of curiosity because there was a Touloujou close to her workplace. She said, "Bread sold at other coffee specialty shops has few varieties, and I don't like any of them," adding, "Touloujou is delicious with its red bean bread and garlic cream cheese garlic bread, so I often stop by."

The display cases featured familiar Korean menus such as Pinkfong character cakes, red bean bread, korokke (croquettes), twisted donuts, and garlic bread. Next to them were products familiar to local consumers, such as croissants, Danish pastries, and sandwiches. As lunchtime arrived, the store came alive with customers.

It was similar at the Cerritos branch visited on the same day. Office workers working on laptops, a mother and child with a stroller, and young people in athletic wear were having lunch with bread and coffee. It showed how a bakery brand that started in Korea has established itself as an everyday space in the United States, where bread is a staple food.

Touloujou, operated by CJ Foodville, entered the U.S. market for the first time in 2004 among domestic bakery companies and has grown rapidly since the 2020s. The revenue of its U.S. subsidiary surpassed 100 billion won, rising from 51 billion won in 2021 to 105.4 billion won in 2023, then increasing to 137.3 billion won in 2024 and 194.6 billion won last year. The number of stores increased from 72 in 2021 to 108 in 2023, and 190 last year, reaching 207 as of the end of September this year.

In line with store expansion, it has also established a local production base. Last year, it completed and began operating a production factory of approximately 90,000 square meters in Gainesville, Hall County, Georgia, U.S. By introducing automated equipment, it can produce over 100 million frozen doughs and cakes annually.

Touloujou's popularity is also confirmed in Mongolia, on the other side of the globe. The Touloujou Global Park branch in Mongolia, visited on the 28th of last month, is as popular as a domestic Starbucks store. At the approximately 70 seats installed in the 100th-pyeong (approx. 330 sqm) store, many locals were enjoying brunch while chatting, or working and studying with laptops open. In Ulaanbaatar, where "stay-type spaces" are desperately needed due to severe cold of minus 30 to 40 degrees Celsius in winter and serious traffic congestion, Touloujou is the most sophisticated premium brand.

Enkhzon (33), met at the store, said, "I come two or three times a week and like eating brunch, bread, and cake with an Americano or lemonade," adding, "The atmosphere of the store is good and comfortable, so I often spend more than an hour when I visit." Erdem (41), who had chosen a salad, said, "Touloujou has a perception as a premium brand here, and it is hygienic, so it is trustworthy," adding, "Cake varieties are also more numerous and tastier than at other places."

Mongolia is considered a barren land for the food service industry due to its small population and poor infrastructure. However, Touloujou has grown it into a global key hub through K-bakery quality and localization strategies. Mongolia is the country recording second-highest revenue per store after the U.S. among the 10th countries where Touloujou has entered.

The growth of Touloujou in Mongolia began with a special relationship of trust between local partners and CJ Foodville. Ariunbat, Chairman of Artisan LLC, opened the first branch in Ulaanbaatar in October 2016 and then expanded stores centered on key commercial areas and landmarks. He sought to absorb Korean-style store operations and quality management to the extent of requesting the Korean headquarters five years ago to send a Korean professional manager. This was an unprecedented move different from most partners who try to monopolize management rights.

As a result, Kim Jae-young, CEO (COO) of the Mongolian subsidiary, who took office in 2024, increased the number of local stores from 19 to 28 in two years and achieved results by boosting revenue per store by more than 30%. He implemented an operation strategy centered on large stores of over 50 pyeong (approx. 165 sqm) targeting the lack of dining and rest spaces locally, and it was effective due to the introduction of a "brunch menu," which is unique among stores worldwide.

Touloujou has emerged as the top "Anchor Tenant" attracting many customers at large landmark facilities including E-Mart in Mongolia. It opened a store in Darkhan, a second city in Mongolia, at the end of last year, and also opened a new store in Ulaangom, a northwestern city located 1,400 km from Ulaanbaatar, in July this year.

CJ Foodville plans to accelerate the expansion of Touloujou's business in Mongolia. Chairman Kim said, "We plan to integrate the two production factories currently divided within Ulaanbaatar into one and build a state-of-the-art integrated logistics center," adding, "Our goal is to open more than three new stores each year and operate 60 stores in Mongolia by 2036."