Tous Les Jours marks 10th anniversary in Mongolia, expands footprint in Indonesia

A Tous les Jours store in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia / Courtesy of CJ Foodville

Tous les Jours, the bakery franchise operated by CJ Foodville, said Tuesday it has cumulatively sold more than 1.7 million cakes in Mongolia over the course of 10 years — a figure equivalent to roughly one cake purchase for every two people in the country.

The Korean bakery chain entered Mongolia in May 2016, becoming the first domestic bakery brand to do so, through a master franchise agreement with local partner Artisan, then known as Mongbakery. Currently operating 24 stores, Tous les Jours has expanded beyond Ulaanbaatar into regional cities, with some locations renovated this quarter to reflect the brand's latest design identity.

Demand peaks sharply during holiday seasons, when stores draw long queues of customers waiting to purchase cakes.

CJ Foodville attributed its success in Mongolia to a three-part master franchise model focused on careful market research to identify strong local partners, a headquarters-led strategy for products and store operations and a standardized system for transferring that expertise to franchisees.

In Indonesia, where Tous les Jours has operated since 2011, the brand has built a premium bakery presence centered in Jakarta. A partnership with its local master franchisee, Sora, has supported expansion beyond the capital into markets outside Java, the country’s most populous island. Drawing on its geographic expertise, Sora has secured prime locations in those regions.

The latest example is a store in Lombok, which opened March 20 as the first Korean bakery brand outlet on the island. The store is already a success, having seen strong sales since opening.

"Tous les Jours continues to grow alongside outstanding master franchise partners across Asia," a CJ Foodville spokesperson said.

"We will build new success models through increasingly differentiated strategies as we lead the K-bakery category in global markets."

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.