K-content food company It the Company (Co-CEOs Bong-geun Kim and Yu-gyeong Lee) announced on the 15th that it was selected as the best startup at 'COMEUP in Jeju' held at the Jeju Dream Tower Resort Complex on September 10th and 11th.
This event, co-hosted and organized by Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, Jeju Tourism Organization, and Korea Startup Forum, provided a platform for innovative companies in the tourism, food, and content sectors to explore the future competitiveness of Jeju's tourism industry.
The judges highly praised the tourism and local food fusion model presented by It the Company. Local food is typically perceived as a "travel destination-specific resource" that can only be experienced by visiting the destination in person. However, It the Company commercialized this concept through its convenient meal platform, "Kkini Kit," expanding it into a "travel food on-the-go." In other words, it creates a continuum in the travel experience by allowing travelers to enjoy the unique flavors of their travel destinations in their everyday lives.
Itthe Company aims to go beyond simple convenience foods and create content-driven food with a story and purpose. Its initial brand, "Momma Recipe," was a snack curation service for mothers, and resonated with consumers with its mission to "boost the appetite and self-esteem of mothers."
The "Kkini Kit" that was introduced next is an ultra-simple modular meal that allows you to enjoy rice, vegetables, and seasonings by combining them like blocks. The "Jeju Vegetable Pot Rice Kit," featuring Jeju gondre, rapeseed greens, and shiitake mushrooms, demonstrated the potential of local food as a tourism product. The company is also preparing to launch "Kkini Pocket," a product designed for single-person households and customized convenience meals, and is currently preparing to expand into a subscription model.
Additionally, the instant soup brand "Cup Cook Everyday" offers a complete meal solution encompassing rice and soup. Cup Cook Everyday captures the flavors and culture of traditional Korean cuisine, including kimchi soup, seaweed soup, soybean paste soup, and dried pollack and bean sprout soup, while enhancing convenience and portability, making local food experiences a daily part of everyday life.
Kim Bong-geun, CEO of It the Company, said, “Our goal is to create an experience that allows tourists to continue experiencing the flavors and stories of Jeju at home after their trip, rather than just staying there during their trip.” He added, “With this award as an opportunity, we will accelerate the development of the tourism food market, which combines the tourism and food industries.”
He also said, “The direction of Itthecompany is to open a new future for local food by connecting meals not only on the table but also with tourism,” and added, “In the future, we will combine local food with curation, design, and content to promote it to the global market as K-content food beyond K-food.”
- See more related articles
You must be logged in to post a comment.