When a marketing expert, who served as the head of the e-commerce business at E-Land and as the chief strategy officer (CSO) at Balan, a luxury platform, left the company in 2022 to become a coffee franchise owner of a brand, people around him worried, "Will it be successful?" However, using its marketing strategy, its main specialty, it increased the number of operating stores to eight in a year and recorded 66 million won per month, 2.5 times more sales per store than other affiliates. Based on this, he started a startup that helps other self-employed and small business owners operate stores. This is the story of Won Jong-kwan, CEO of Control M.

CEO Won explained on the 16th, "Taste and service are important, but improving the inefficient store management system is the key to success."

Control M has developed "RestoGenie," an integrated store operation solution based on artificial intelligence (AI) technology. It integrates scattered systems such as sales, delivery, and inventory management and analyzes data to support restaurant owners' decision-making. CEO Won explained, "In conjunction with CCTV in the store, it tells us when there are many customer visits and which channel to focus marketing budget on, whether it is a delivery app or Instagram."

On the 15th, Avout Coffee, a franchise coffee brand with more than 60 stores across the country, decided to introduce Restaurini. Won said, "We want to collaborate with various partners to provide practical help to restaurant owners and contribute to solving the chronic repetition of business closures in self-employed businesses."

[Reporter Seo Jeongwon]