Can the Operating Principal also serve as the General Manager for a Bonchon franchise?
Bonchon Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
If you are an individual, then you may serve as General Manager. If you are an entity, then your Operating Principal must serve as or designate a General Manager. If your Operating Principal will have on-site management responsibility over the Restaurant's daily operation on a full-time basis, then we will consider your Operating Principal to be the General Manager. Before designating and engaging the services of the General Manager, you must identify such individual to us; furnish information to us regarding the candidate's background, experience and credentials; and, secure our prior written approval of the candidate, which we will not unreasonably withhold or deny. Your General Manager, who will have full-time day-to-day management responsibility for your Bonchon Business, will exercise on-premises supervision and personally participate in the direct operation of the Business. Your General Manager must satisfy our initial training requirements pursuant to Section 7.02 hereof.
Additionally, you must employ a second full-time manager to serve as your manager (the "Manager"). Your Manager will also have day-to-day management responsibility for your Bonchon Business, and will exercise on-premises supervision and personally participate in the direct operation of the Business. You Manager must satisfy our initial training requirements pursuant to Section 7.02 hereof.
If this Agreement is for the opening of your (or your affiliates, collectively with you) third Bonchon Business, then you must designate an "Area Manager" to us in writing prior to opening your third Bonchon Business, who will oversee the operations of each Bonchon Restaurant that you and/or your affiliates own and operate. The Area Manager must be certified to manage multi-unit operations. Your Area Manager must secure the requisite certifications and attend and successfully complete the training that we prescribe in Section 7.02 above. The requirement to designate an Area Manager
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 92–536)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Bonchon's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, if you are an individual franchisee, you may serve as the General Manager. If the franchisee is an entity, the Operating Principal must serve as or designate a General Manager. Bonchon will consider the Operating Principal to be the General Manager if they have on-site management responsibility over the Restaurant's daily operation on a full-time basis.
Before designating a General Manager, the franchisee must identify the individual to Bonchon, provide information regarding their background, experience, and credentials, and secure Bonchon's prior written approval, which Bonchon will not unreasonably withhold or deny. The General Manager will have full-time day-to-day management responsibility for the Bonchon Business and will exercise on-premises supervision and personally participate in the direct operation of the Business. The General Manager must also satisfy Bonchon's initial training requirements.
In addition to the General Manager, the franchisee must employ a second full-time manager to serve as the Manager, who will also have day-to-day management responsibility for the Bonchon Business, exercise on-premises supervision, and personally participate in the direct operation of the Business. The Manager must also satisfy Bonchon's initial training requirements. If the franchisee is opening their third Bonchon Business, they must designate an Area Manager to oversee the operations of each Bonchon Restaurant that they and/or their affiliates own and operate. The Area Manager must be certified to manage multi-unit operations and must secure the requisite certifications and attend and successfully complete the training that Bonchon prescribes.