What memories do you have of ‘Mom’s Touch’? Many probably recall the hearty image of the ‘Cyburger,’ with its thick chicken patty protruding well beyond the bun. That burger, famously nicknamed the ‘mouth-tearing burger’ because it was hard to fit in one bite, was the best value for money.
But how did this warm brand, once like a ‘mother’s touch,’ come to be known by the cold nickname ‘stepmother’s touch’? Behind this lies a drama that began with one man’s bold challenge, a success story that captivated South Korea, and a betrayal and rebellion at its peak.
1. The Ugly Duckling Comes into the World
The story begins in the late 1990s, amid the fast-food battlefield where giants like McDonald’s and Lotteria clashed. Under the shadow of the chicken brand ‘Popeyes,’ a small brand called ‘Mom’s Touch’ quietly emerged in 1997.
But the start was humble. Without support from headquarters or public attention, it only piled up an annual deficit of 500 million won, becoming a ‘problem child.’ At that time, when everyone ignored it, a man who saw the potential of this ugly duckling appeared. He was Jung Hyun-sik, an ordinary salaried executive.
In 2004, when the company planned to wind down the Mom’s Touch business, he made a surprising offer: “I’ll take over that business.” Remarkably, instead of paying money, he took over Mom’s Touch on the condition of assuming 300 million won in debt. This was the moment a man who left a stable position and bet everything on a failed project began his great gamble.
2. The Value Revolution of the ‘Mouth-Tearing Burger’
Chairman Jung Hyun-sik’s challenge was tough. He had to endure a dark tunnel of seven years without a single profit. But during this time of perseverance, Mom’s Touch was sharpening powerful weapons to shake the market.
# The Miracle of Cyburger
In 2005, the ‘Cyburger’ was born, changing Mom’s Touch’s fate. The thick patty, made by frying a whole chicken thigh, was truly shocking. Consumers affectionately nicknamed it ‘mouth-tearing burger’ because it was “so big it tears your mouth,” and ‘concept burger’ for its honest pricing.
# The Aesthetics of Slowness, ‘Slow Food’
Though a fast-food restaurant, Mom’s Touch adopted a ‘slow’ strategy, starting cooking only after receiving an order. This wait was a promise to serve food as warm and fresh as a mother’s home-cooked meal, creating a quality difference unmatched by other brands.
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# Dominating the Neighborhood
Instead of expensive central commercial areas, the strategy to penetrate university and residential neighborhoods was a masterstroke. It lowered initial startup costs and rent burdens, allowing franchisees to earn more. Thanks to this, Mom’s Touch outperformed Burger King and Lotteria in sales per area.
At the core of all this was Chairman Jung’s philosophy of ‘co-prosperity’, believing “the headquarters survives only if franchisees make money.” This sincerity earned deep trust from store owners and became a solid foundation for building the Mom’s Touch empire.
3. Betrayal at the Top, The 200 Billion Won Question
In 2019, with over 1,200 franchise stores at its peak, Mom’s Touch was enjoying its prime. Everyone believed this success would continue—until shocking news broke. Founder Jung Hyun-sik sold most of his shares to a private equity fund for about 200 billion won.
Chairman Jung said it was a “decision for a bigger leap” and that “entrusting professional managers rather than passing it to his children was the right choice.” On the surface, it was a graceful exit.
But inside, fear and betrayal boiled. The arrival of a private equity fund, which did not hesitate to restructure for profit maximization, meant job insecurity for employees and the end of the ‘co-prosperity’ philosophy for franchisees who had built the empire together. The tightly knit ‘Mom’s Touch family’ shattered.
4. The Mother Is Gone, The Stepmother Has Come
Under new ownership, Mom’s Touch became a completely different company. ‘Co-prosperity’ and ‘value for money’ gave way to ‘profit maximization’ and ’efficiency.’
| Feature | Founder Era (Mom’s Touch) | Private Equity Era (Stepmom’s Touch) |
|---|---|---|
| Core Philosophy | ‘Co-prosperity’ growing with franchisees | ‘Profit maximization’ for resale |
| Pricing Strategy | ‘Price freeze’ to maintain value | ‘Frequent price hikes’ to increase profit |
| Franchisee Relationship | ‘Partners’ sharing profits | ‘Vertical relationship’ shifting costs |
Popular menu items were discontinued for being inefficient, and the Cyburger price, once a symbol of value, soared 35% in just three years. The affectionate nickname ‘Mom’s Touch’ turned into the coldly mocking ‘Stepmom’s Touch.’ The company’s profits exploded, but it was essentially earned by selling consumer trust and affection.
5. A Lone Franchisee’s Fight
The headquarters’ profit pursuit directly harmed franchisees. Without consulting them, the headquarters unilaterally raised the supply price of the key Cyburger patty.
Against this injustice, Hwang Sung-gu, owner of the Sangdo Station branch in Seoul, raised his voice. He gathered scattered franchisees to form the ‘National Mom’s Touch Franchisee Council’ and began joint action against headquarters.
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The headquarters responded not with dialogue but repression. They sued Mr. Hwang, threatened him, and ultimately cut off supplies to his store, an extreme measure of ‘franchise contract termination.’
But Mr. Hwang did not give up. After his persistent struggle, in 2024, the Fair Trade Commission finally sided with the franchisees. It judged the headquarters’ ‘power abuse’ as a clear illegal act and imposed a fine of 300 million won. This was a precious victory achieved by one individual’s resistance amid the tragic clash between the founder’s ‘co-prosperity’ spirit and the private equity fund’s ‘profit’ logic.
6. An Empire with Two Faces, Lingering Questions
While suffering from ‘power abuse’ controversies domestically, ironically, Mom’s Touch achieved dazzling success overseas. Especially the 2023 pop-up store in Shibuya, Tokyo, drew long lines daily and was a huge hit. Japanese media called Mom’s Touch the ‘Black Ship from Korea,’ highlighting its impact.
Currently, Mom’s Touch has two faces. Overseas, it is a success icon elevating K-food’s status, but domestically, it exists as a brand struggling to regain trust after past wounds.
From the ‘mother’s touch’ to the ‘generous burger,’ and now to ‘Stepmom’s Touch,’ the history of Mom’s Touch is fully reflected in how its name is called. This story goes beyond one company’s success and failure; it is a fable of our times showing how precious values can be distorted by capital logic.
Now, one final question remains for Mom’s Touch. Can the ‘stepmother’ regain the warm ‘mother’s touch’? Or has the special magic that captivated a generation’s taste disappeared forever? The answer depends on the path Mom’s Touch will take from here.