Hansot

Hansot (한솥, also written 한솥도시락 / Hansot Dosirak) is a South Korean restaurant franchise brand specializing in dosirak — Korean-style boxed meals built around freshly cooked rice. It opened its first store in July 1993 in front of the Jongno-gu Office in Seoul, and grew into what its own materials and Korean Wikipedia describe as the country's leading dosirak franchise. The brand's defining move was to build its model around takeout rather than delivery: at a time when most Korean dosirak franchises relied on 100% delivery service, Hansot introduced takeout dosirak and used the resulting cost savings to keep prices low, which drove strong customer response. The menu is broad and rotates frequently, spanning rice bowls (deopbap), bibimbap, katsu and donkatsu series, chicken dishes such as chicken mayo and dakgangjeong, gukbap-style and noodle items, and snack sides. Signature items referenced by the company include Chicken Mayo (치킨마요), which it says has sold 150 million bowls, and Dongbaek Dosirak (동백도시락) at 70 million bowls, within a cumulative total of roughly 630 million dosirak sold. The company positions itself around the corporate idea of "contributing to the community through warm dosirak," emphasizing carefully selected ingredients — rice sourced through rigorous testing of RPC rice nationwide, kimchi made with cabbage from Haenam, Pyeongchang and Taebaek and domestic red pepper powder, and bulgogi using only Grade S and Grade A chuck from clean Australian sourcing. Hansot operates as a franchise network. Its history page traces store growth from the first Jongno store in 1993 to 100 stores in 1997, past 600 stores in 2012, and 730 stores by 2020; Korean Wikipedia notes roughly 680 stores nationwide and a stated goal of expanding domestic stores toward 3,000 over about a decade from 2017. The brand also reports an extensive social contribution program, supporting welfare centers, childcare institutions, four medical institutions including Samsung Medical Center, national events, disaster relief, and university scholarships. In recent years Hansot has emphasized ESG and sustainability messaging, citing partnerships and recognition such as a partnership with UNRISD on sustainable development performance indicators, repeated top rankings in the UN SDG Business Index (SDGBI), ISO 37001 and ISO 37301 certifications for anti-bribery and compliance management, and numerous consecutive consumer brand awards from Korean media. New menu launches are frequent and documented year by year on its history page, from donkatsu and gyudon series to kimchi deopbap, jjambalaya chicken deopbap, and pasta items. The brand remains active and privately held, with no public listing indicated in the available evidence.

Hansot began on 7 July 1993 with a small first store in front of the Jongno-gu Office in Seoul. According to the brand's own story, the store was only about 8 pyeong in size, and the decision to start without delivery drew skepticism — observers argued that a takeout-only model could not succeed. The founders persisted, and customers lined up for the sincerely made dosirak. That early bet on takeout, at a time when most Korean dosirak franchises ran 100% delivery service, allowed Hansot to lower prices and win broad customer support; Korean Wikipedia credits the brand with being the first in Korea to introduce takeout dosirak. Growth followed steadily. The company's history page records 100 stores by 1997 and more than 600 stores by 2012, reaching 730 stores by 2020. Korean Wikipedia describes roughly 680 stores nationwide and a goal, set from 2017, of expanding domestic stores to about 3,000 over roughly a decade. During the Asian financial crisis (IMF period), sharply rising prices forced the company to consider raising dosirak prices. According to the brand story, Hansot chose to hold prices to support struggling customers, a decision that franchisees supported even at short-term loss; the company says this choice was vindicated as the brand emerged from the crisis more loved by customers and franchisees. From 2000 to 2008 the company faced a period of difficulty related to restrictions on plastic dosirak containers, which limited its ability to secure new franchise locations. It responded by expanding ancillary product sales inside stores, renovating outlets, and launching new menus, and continued to grow. Over its history the brand reports cumulative sales of about 630 million dosirak, including 150 million bowls of Chicken Mayo and 70 million bowls of Dongbaek Dosirak, supported by more than 200 menu types introduced over time. In the 2020s Hansot's public communications have centered on ESG and sustainability alongside menu innovation. Its history page lists a partnership with UNRISD on sustainable development performance indicators, repeated first-place rankings in the UN SDG Business Index (SDGBI), ISO 37001 (anti-bribery) and ISO 37301 (compliance) certifications, and a long series of consecutive consumer and brand awards from outlets such as Maeil Business Newspaper, JoongAng Ilbo, ChosunBiz, Digital Chosun Ilbo, Korea Economic Daily, and the Korea Consumer Association. New product launches documented year by year include donkatsu and double dosirak series, gyudon series, mala chicken, pork bulgogi deopbap, chicken breast series, meatball deopbap, kimchi deopbap series, jjambalaya chicken deopbap, hamburg napolitan pasta, and many bibimbap and rice-bowl variants. The brand also reports ongoing social contribution work with welfare centers, childcare institutions, medical institutions including Samsung Medical Center, disaster relief, national events, and university scholarships.

• 2026

  Launches nakji jeyuk bibimbap and tornado potato; selected among Maeil Business Newspaper's top 100 franchises.

• 2025

  Launches jambalaya chicken deopbap, kimchi deopbap series, donkatsu series, gyudon series and more; ranked first in SDGBI for third consecutive year.

• 2024

  Launches demi meatball deopbap and hamburg napolitan pasta; receives corporate innovation award from the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

• 2023

  Launches chicken nanban deopbap and other items; wins consumer-selected best brand award for 11 consecutive years.

• 2022

  Wins ESG management grand prize at the 2nd Korea Social Value Awards.

• 2021

  Launches Jjamppong mandu and other new items; receives ISO 37001 and ISO 37301 post-audit conformity.

• 2020

  Reaches 730 stores.

• 2017

  Sets goal of expanding domestic stores to about 3,000 over roughly a decade.

• 2012

  Surpasses 600 stores.

• 1997

  Reaches 100 stores.

• 1993

  First Hansot store opens in front of Jongno-gu Office, Seoul, on 7 July.

Affordable, freshly made takeout dosirak for everyday customers, with a 'kind pot-rice' (착한 솥밥) brand philosophy and emphasis on ingredient quality and social contribution.

• Chicken Mayo (치킨마요)

• Dongbaek Dosirak (동백도시락)

• Donkatsu series

• Gyudon series

• Kimchi deopbap series

• Jambalaya chicken deopbap

• Hamburg napolitan pasta

• Bibimbap variants

1. 1한솥도시락 official websitehsd.co.kr
2. 2한솥 연혁 (History)hsd.co.kr
3. 3한솥 브랜드 스토리 (Brand Story)hsd.co.kr
4. 4Wikidata: Hansotwikidata.org
5. 5한솥도시락 - Wikipedia (Korean)ko.wikipedia.org