Located in Gongju City, Bamssaldang is a chestnut bread specialized bakery. Famous for unsparing use of quality ingredients, eaters get a surprise by looking whole chestnuts in the bread when opened, not to mention the taste and a variety of breads to choose. What makes this local bakery more famous, however, is the knowhow of CEO baker Lee Gwang-hyun in running the business alone.

South Korea has seen an increasing number of one man business before the pandemic. Young and ambitious entrepreneurs used the most of their innovative ideas and skills to startup and they actually created a buzz in the media and some of them also proved commercial feasibility with subsequent results. And the pandemic is accelerating this trend as it saves labor and operation costs.

Lee has built his unique principle of creating a 10 people work-power by a single person. Here are the 5 contents of the principle: 1) prepare 70% of the process the day before after closing the store 2) build an easy processing system to save time and effort 3) build unique storytelling for the brand 4) do not pursue the craze but create your own color and style 5) run the business alone but think it like you are the owner of a big company. To add one more thing, he advises, is to make sure that the bread you deliver must be as fresh as the bread just baked and displayed in the store.

Some of the hot sellers of Bamssaldang are these: chestnut madeleine, sweet potato bread, whole sweet potato bread, chestnut bread, rice nut cookie and browny. Introduced for the Korean New Year (February 12 this year), Hardy Plants Gift Set is already being sold like hot cakes online. It is consisted of 1 whole sweet potato bread, 1 chestnut bread, 3 chestnut madeleine, 1 sweet potato bread, 1 200g topgol macaron and 1 ripened sweet potato bread. The price is 15,900 won (18,400 won including delivery fee = 16.38 USD).

With a good will to activate regional economy, Lee has been using locally grown ingredients including chestnuts and rice by signing a memorandum of understanding with local farmers. PowerKorea.