[Edaily Reporter kim mi-kyung ] Kim Dong-seon, President of Future Strategy at #Hanwha Machinery & Service Holdings (Hanwha M&S), has poured his heart into the premium ice cream brand Benson since its planning stages, and the brand is now set to enter the franchise business with the backing of OurHome. The strategy is to join OurHome’s business division—which boasts a nationwide logistics network and foodservice infrastructure—next month, aiming to leap forward as a nationwide brand.

Benson’s operator, Verus Scoop Creamery, announced on the 26th that it recently completed the franchise registration process with the Fair Trade Commission and will begin recruiting franchisees starting in the first half of next year, focusing on commercial districts in Seoul and the greater Seoul area. Verus Scoop Creamery and OurHome signed a business transfer agreement on the 22nd, and Benson will be incorporated into OurHome’s business division starting next month.

Verus Scoop Creamery aims to secure a total of 100 stores—50 company-owned and 50 franchised—by 2027. The company plans to expand its presence primarily in Seoul and the greater Seoul area before moving into regional markets starting in 2028. The company states that this move is in response to sustained market demand.

Benson is a brand in which President Seung Youn Kim—the third son of Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-yeon—has been involved since the planning stage. After opening its first store in Seoul’s Apgujeong Rodeo District last May, the brand has rapidly expanded, surpassing 27 stores just a year and a half after its launch.

This merger with OurHome is drawing attention as a prime example of synergy created among the group’s lifestyle subsidiaries since the launch of the holding company, Hanwha M&S. The plan is to actively leverage OurHome’s nationwide logistics network and foodservice infrastructure to ensure a stable supply of products to franchise locations across the country.

The company is also expanding its sales channels. It plans to broaden its reach through OurHome’s concession operations—including airports, mixed-use shopping malls, and highway rest areas—as well as through institutional food service and food distribution channels. Additionally, in partnership with “Gomed Galleria,” the company intends to provide food and beverage (F&F) services within the communities of premium apartment complexes.

A company official stated, “This entry into the franchise business and the merger with OurHome are strategic moves aimed at propelling Benson to new heights,” adding, “We will work with franchisees to usher in a new golden age for Benson.”