The Franchise M&A Exchange (FMX) said that as the franchise M&A market has emerged as a key growth engine for the restaurant industry, M&A (mergers and acquisitions) between companies seeking to increase brand value and diversify their businesses (sell-side) and companies seeking to acquire (buy-side) new investment opportunities are becoming more active, and on the 18th, it introduced companies seeking to acquire franchise brands in various industries that are attracting attention recently.

Company A is a brand that has secured global recognition by implementing authentic American-style steamed seafood with high-quality ingredients and special sauces. Its direct-operated store in Seoul is recording monthly sales of 70 million won and a net profit rate of 50%, and it is possible to operate with a small workforce due to its easy cooking and high turnover rate. It is also easy to diversify sales to include delivery and desserts, and its concept combined with the K-Food trend has high potential for overseas expansion. The principle is to transfer 100% of shares, but conditions can be flexibly negotiated.

Company B is a fusion tonkatsu brand that combines Japanese and Western cuisine. It currently operates about 40 franchises in the metropolitan area, recording an average monthly sales of over 30 million won per franchise. Based on its emotional brand concept and SNS diffusion, this brand, which has grown rapidly, records annual operating profit of about 500 million won based on the headquarters, and is on the market for about 5 billion won.

Company C is a beer brand and beer factory founded by a founder with experience in the world's best beer company and expertise in biochemistry and microbiology. It is a great opportunity to acquire the core technology, including the monthly production capacity of 8,000 liters, proven taste of craft beer, and its core technology.

Company D, which operates a direct store in the central commercial district of Seoul, is showing stable profits of 3 billion won in annual sales and 15% operating profit rate from its 100-pyeong and 60-pyeong stores. It is suitable for investors considering entering the restaurant business, as it has a premium location, high-end interior, stable supply chain, operation manual, and flexible transaction structure.

Company E's wine bar and wine sales brand is on the market for 500 million won. It also deals with the recent trend of highballs, and all menus are trendy. Since it is in the early stages of growth, there are not many franchises, so there is considerable potential for future expansion.

Company F is a premium kimbap brand based on natural salt and seasoning, and the deal includes healthy menus, exclusive recipes, and an operating manual. It operates 8 franchises, and logistics revenue accounts for approximately 50%. It is evaluated as a growing brand that maintains a stable sales flow through dine-in and delivery operations, and has the potential for nationwide expansion and secondary productization with an investment of 500 million won.

Company G is a Gyeonggi-do pig's feet and bossam franchise, and currently operates 1 directly managed store and 5 franchises. The directly managed stores conduct training and R&D, and have a 3PL system. All stores are centered around dine-in, and are strong in maintaining quality. It is currently hoping to sell for around 1 billion won, and it is evaluated that there is a high possibility of expansion outside of Gyeonggi-do.

Chicken brand H, which had been neglected due to the parent company's business strategy, is being put up for quick sale due to the parent company's restructuring. A unique concept chicken brand with about 10 stores is worth less than 150 million won. It is a very attractive property that can be turned around with just a little capital and operational know-how.

Company I, which owns the top-tier food network in Korea, is looking for a big deal worth 80 billion won. It wants to acquire the top 10 brands in the major restaurant industry, including chicken, pizza, Korean food, meat, and coffee, for up to 80 billion won.

A deal worth up to 70 billion won is being carried out for the next portfolio composition of Company J, a specialized portfolio management company for restaurants. The deal is being carried out regardless of the industry or amount, as long as the company has potential for development at any point. The minimum unit amount starts at 500 million won, so there are many potential sellers.

Company K is interested in acquiring a brand that can create synergy with dakbokkeumtang and livestock products. It is pursuing menu diversification and global expansion on top of a stable operational foundation.

Company L operates a chicken franchise and livestock processing company, and is interested in acquiring a dakbokkeumtang and tonkatsu brand. Based on a stable operating foundation, it is pursuing menu diversification and global expansion.

M, a beer brand with stores in all major commercial districts in Korea, is looking for a brand to integrate its logistics chain. Opportunities are open to all food businesses that can create synergy with beer. Since it is a company with solid financial power, it is expected that many potential sellers will be included.

N, a top company in the egg processing industry, is considering acquiring a Korean food brand with the goal of developing a premium egg Korean food menu. It plans to strengthen brand competitiveness and expandability through egg menus such as keto kimbap and omelet rice.

O, a restaurant company based in the metropolitan area, is hoping to acquire a competitive Korean food brand worth less than 1 billion won. It aims to increase menu competitiveness and quickly settle into the market by utilizing its know-how in imported food ingredients and liquor distribution.

P, a restaurant company specializing in acquiring various restaurant brands, is pursuing the acquisition of popular industries such as jokbal, bossam, and snacks to build an F&B portfolio. They have acquisition capacity of about 500 million won, and they prefer a structure that can promote long-term growth while respecting the brand philosophy.

While the potential sellers mentioned above are introducing various chicken, pizza, hamburger, beer, and liquor items with high potential, potential buyers are also appearing one after another. Regardless of the industry, they are characterized by seeking differentiated synergy through their own capital and operational know-how.

Lee Jun-ho (Ian), a Korean Certified Public Accountant (KICPA), who is in charge of deal sourcing consulting between potential sellers and potential buyers in the domestic and overseas chicken, pizza, hamburger, beer, and liquor sectors, said, "In addition to proper corporate value evaluation, proper deal matching between potential sellers and potential buyers is a capability that is absolutely necessary in the M&A market," and "In the future, we will faithfully fulfill the role of a bridgehead that meets the needs of both potential sellers and potential buyers by possessing excellent capabilities throughout the entire M&A transaction process."