Yoajung

Yoajung is a South Korean franchise brand specializing in frozen-yogurt desserts. Established in 2021, the chain developed a proposition centered on soft-serve-style frozen yogurt served with a broad selection of toppings, including raw honeycomb, cookies, chocolate syrup, and fruit. Customers can customize the dessert by combining the base with different toppings, with the additions increasing the final price. The brand became particularly visible among South Korean teenagers and people in their twenties during the 2020s. Its growth was closely associated with delivery-app ordering and social-media exposure, which helped turn its highly customizable bowls into a widely discussed dessert format. The popularity also generated online videos showing consumers how to prepare similar frozen-yogurt combinations at home, extending the brand’s cultural visibility beyond its stores. Yoajung expanded rapidly through its franchise network. It reportedly operated 166 stores in 2023 and approximately 400 stores by 2024. A November 2024 news report cited a network of about 470 stores, indicating continued expansion during that year, although the figures vary by reporting date and source. In July 2024, Samhwa Foods acquired 100 percent of the brand for ₩40 billion. This transaction placed Yoajung under new ownership while preserving its identity as a consumer-facing frozen-yogurt franchise. The brand’s positioning combines a relatively simple dessert base with premium-feeling and visually distinctive toppings. Honeycomb, fruit, sauces, and confectionery ingredients create an appearance suited to social-media sharing, while delivery availability makes the product accessible without an in-store visit. Publicly available reference material does not establish a broader international operating footprint, detailed corporate structure, founder identity, or a complete current management roster.

Yoajung was founded in South Korea in 2021 as a frozen-yogurt restaurant franchise. The brand’s name is reportedly derived from the Korean expression 요거트 아이스크림의 정석, translated as “yogurt ice cream done right.” Its core format is a frozen-yogurt dessert that can be customized with numerous toppings rather than a narrowly fixed menu. The product format combines frozen yogurt with ingredients such as raw honeycomb, cookies, chocolate syrup, and fruit. Toppings are added to the base dessert and increase the price, creating a menu structure in which customers can select combinations according to taste and budget. The visual variety of the toppings also made the product suitable for photography and short-form social-media content. During the 2020s, Yoajung experienced a marked rise in popularity, particularly among South Korean teenagers and consumers in their twenties. Delivery applications were an important channel in this period, helping the brand reach customers beyond its physical restaurants. Its popularity also prompted social-media videos demonstrating how to make comparable frozen-yogurt desserts at home, further spreading awareness of the format. Yoajung’s franchise footprint expanded quickly. The chain reportedly had 166 stores in 2023 and around 400 stores in 2024. A report from November 2024 gave a higher figure of approximately 470 stores. Because these figures come from different reporting dates and may use different counting methods, they should be treated as reported network estimates rather than a single definitive store count. In July 2024, Samhwa Foods acquired the brand in a transaction covering 100 percent of Yoajung’s stake, reportedly for ₩40 billion. The acquisition marked a significant ownership change in the brand’s relatively short history. Public reference material identifies Yoajung as an active South Korean franchise, but does not provide enough information to document its founder, headquarters, executive leadership, detailed franchise economics, or international expansion.

• 2024

  Yoajung is acquired by Samhwa Foods

  [1]Yoajungen.wikipedia.org

  Samhwa Foods acquires 100 percent of Yoajung in July 2024 for a reported ₩40 billion.

• 2024

  Rapid franchise expansion continues

  [1]Yoajungen.wikipedia.org

  Reported store counts reach approximately 400 during 2024, with a November report citing about 470 locations.

• 2023

  The chain reaches 166 stores

  [1]Yoajungen.wikipedia.org

  Reference material reports that Yoajung operated 166 stores during 2023.

• 2021

  Yoajung is founded

  [1]Yoajungen.wikipedia.org

  Yoajung is established in South Korea as a frozen-yogurt restaurant franchise.

A youth-oriented South Korean frozen-yogurt franchise focused on customization, visually distinctive toppings, delivery convenience, and social-media-friendly desserts.

• Frozen yogurt · 2021

  Customizable frozen-yogurt desserts

  Yoajung’s principal offering is a frozen-yogurt dessert served with customer-selected toppings. The format allows combinations of sweet sauces, fruit, cookies, honeycomb, and other ingredients. Because toppings are charged in addition to the base dessert, the final price depends on the selected combination.

• Frozen-yogurt dessert

  Raw-honeycomb frozen yogurt

  A frozen-yogurt variation featuring raw honeycomb as a topping. The ingredient contributes a distinctive visual presentation and a premium-oriented character within the brand’s customizable dessert menu.

• Frozen-yogurt dessert

  Fruit and confectionery topping combinations

  Yoajung offers combinations using fruit, cookies, chocolate syrup, and other sweet toppings. These mix-and-match formats support personalization and helped make the products well suited to delivery orders and social-media sharing.

• 2024

  Transfer of full ownership to Samhwa FoodsM&A

  Background

  Yoajung had developed a rapidly expanding frozen-yogurt franchise network and strong visibility among younger South Korean consumers.

  Action taken

  Samhwa Foods acquired 100 percent of Yoajung in July 2024 for a reported ₩40 billion.

  Aftermath

  The transaction made Samhwa Foods the brand’s owner. Publicly available reference material does not specify subsequent changes to management, store operations, or brand strategy.

  Acquisition price. ₩40 billion (July 2024 transaction)

  Source

1. 1Yoajungen.wikipedia.org