What is the role of the General Manager for a Bonchon franchise?
Bonchon Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
tify us, and you must designate a successor or acting Operating Principal within 10 days from the occurrence of such event.
If an individual, you must either serve as or designate a General Manager. If you are an individual, we recommend that you personally serve as your own General Manager. If you are an entity, then your Operating Principal may serve as your General Manager or you may designate a General Manager. If your Operating Principal will have on-premises management responsibility over the Restaurant's daily operations on a full-time basis, then we will consider your Operating Principal to be the General Manager. The General Manager, who will have full-time day-to-day management responsibility for your Bonchon Business and Restaurant, will exercise on-premises supervision and personally participate in the direct operation of the Business and Restaurant. You must inform us in writing of your General Manager and any replacement General Manager in advance. We must approve your General Manager(s) before you appoint them. Your General Manager(s) must attend and successfully complete the Initial Training Program. In addition to your General Manager, you must employ a second full-time manager to serve as your assistant or kitchen manager (the "Manager"). Your Manager will also have day-to-day management responsibility for your Bonchon Business and Restaurant, and will exercise on-premises supervision and personally participate in the direct operation of the Business and Restaurant. The Manager must attend and successfully complete the Initial Training Program.
If you are entering into a franchise agreement for the operation of your third Bonchon Business, then you must designate an "Area Manager" to us in writing prior to opening your (or your affiliates', collectively with you) third Bonchon Business. The Area Manager 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 also have first attended, received and hold a current Bonchon approved nationally accredited food manager certification from the National Restaurant Association in addition to any safe food handling courses required by the local municipality in which the subject Restaurant is located. Once your Area Manager has obtained its Bonchon approved nationally accredited food manager certification, then your Area Manager must
attend and successfully complete our Initial Training Program (and such additional training that we may require) prior to the opening of your third Bonchon Business. Your Area Manager may not hold any other position in your organization or business entity or in any of your Bonchon Businesses or Restaurants while he/she is serving as your Area Manager.
Source: Item 15 — OBLIGATION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ACTUAL OPERATION OF THE FRANCHISE BUSINESS (FDD pages 69–71)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Bonchon's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the General Manager is responsible for the full-time, day-to-day management of the Bonchon restaurant. The General Manager provides on-premises supervision and directly participates in the operation of the business. Bonchon must approve the General Manager, and the franchisee must inform Bonchon in writing of the General Manager and any replacements in advance. The General Manager must also attend and successfully complete the Initial Training Program.
If the franchisee is an individual, they may serve as their own General Manager, and Bonchon recommends this. If the franchisee is a business entity, the Operating Principal may serve as the General Manager, or the franchisee can designate a General Manager. If the Operating Principal has on-premises management responsibility over the Restaurant's daily operations on a full-time basis, Bonchon will consider the Operating Principal to be the General Manager.
In addition to the General Manager, the franchisee must employ a second full-time manager to serve as an assistant or kitchen manager, referred to as "the Manager." This Manager also has day-to-day management responsibility and participates directly in the operation of the restaurant and must complete the Initial Training Program. The General Manager, Area Manager, and Manager do not need to have any equity interest in the franchisee entity. There must be at least one Restaurant Manager on duty during all hours of operation, who may be the General Manager or someone trained and supervised by the General Manager. At all times during operation, there must be at least two certified and fully trained individuals at the Restaurant.
If a General Manager's employment is terminated, or in the event of death or disability, Bonchon must be notified immediately. A successor or acting General Manager must be designated within 10 days. Each successor General Manager must obtain a Bonchon approved nationally accredited food manager certification from the National Restaurant Association and attend and successfully complete Bonchon's next scheduled Initial Training Program.