About the Store
Opened in May 2019, Gamdong Sikdang (감동식당) is a braised pork ribs specialty restaurant run on the philosophy of “being more than a place to eat — a place that delivers emotion and positive energy.” From the careful knife scoring on every rib, to the honest practice of sourcing premium ingredients and disclosing their origins, to the signature recommendation of pairing ribs with buckwheat pancakes — every part of the food and the operation carries the owner’s hands-on touch.
Why They Adopted Us
Right after opening, the restaurant rode the “opening buzz” effect and then watched revenue slide. After a year of flyer drops and direct outreach the numbers recovered, but a business YouTube video about the importance of customer management convinced the owner it was time to bring in DodoPoint.
How They Use DodoPoint
- Building a customer database — With customer data in hand, store events can now reach the full base, not just walk-ins.
- KakaoTalk channel integration — Point earning notifications arrive via KakaoTalk, which makes inviting customers to subscribe to the store’s KakaoTalk channel feel natural.
- Roulette during wait time — The wait at checkout becomes a small moment of fun (top prize: a Dior lipstick), which also funnels guests into the KakaoTalk channel.
Results
- Steady monthly revenue of over 100 million KRW.
- Repeat-visit revenue from regulars continues to compound.
From the Owner
True to our name, Gamdong Sikdang will keep working to move our guests. We won’t get drunk on success — we’ll remember the days of chasing down our first customers and keep going from there.
Full Interview
Despite a tough economy, Gamdong Sikdang clears more than 100 million KRW in monthly revenue. We sat down with the owner to talk about the craft of running a restaurant, their operating philosophy, and how they manage customers.
”Once I learned how important customer management was, I decided to adopt DodoPoint.”
Q. Tell us about Gamdong Sikdang.
We opened on May 28, 2019, and we’ve been running non-stop ever since. The name reflects our intention to be more than a place where people eat — we wanted to deliver emotion and positive energy. Over the years we’ve grown into a restaurant our customers love coming back to.
Q. What’s your operating philosophy?
Our philosophy is right in the name: we want to move our guests with truly delicious braised pork ribs and service that stands apart. We put that intention into both the food and the day-to-day running of the place.
Our braised ribs take real effort to make.
First, the knife scoring. Cutting into each rib lets the marinade soak deeper, which gives the dish a richer flavor. Scoring every rib by hand is labor-intensive, but we put in that time because we want a flavor that stands apart from other rib restaurants.
Second, the origin of the ingredients. We hand-pick high-quality ingredients ourselves, and we label the origin of each one — so our guests get both trust and a flavor they can count on.
Third, our own way of eating. We suggest a “right way” to enjoy our braised ribs. After a lot of testing we landed on buckwheat pancakes as the perfect pairing. The response from guests who tried it was so good that we now put up a small sign explaining how to eat it.
Q. What pushed you to adopt DodoPoint?
Revenue was great when we first opened, but it dropped off over time — the classic opening-buzz fade. We were anxious and tried everything. I dropped flyers in nearby apartments, and during quieter daytime hours I’d step out to greet people walking by. We did a lot of hands-on promotion.
We tried to show our passion in those brief moments of contact, and about a year in, sales started ticking up again. Around that time I watched a video from business YouTuber Kwon Pro that made me realize how essential customer management is. That’s when we adopted DodoPoint.
”Honestly I went in half-skeptical, but a lot of advantages came with it.”
Q. What benefits did DodoPoint bring?
If I had to pick the biggest ones, there are two.
Building a customer database. The data DodoPoint collects lets us bring people back. Before, when we ran special events, we had no way to tell anyone except walk-in guests. Now we can announce events through DodoPoint and pull people back into the store.
KakaoTalk integration. When customers earn points, they get a KakaoTalk notification, and that notification can connect to our store’s KakaoTalk channel. We run our own KakaoTalk channel to share events and news, and growing the channel matters to us as a communication line with our customers. Because point notifications can link into the channel, we can guide customers to subscribe more naturally. DodoPoint has let us run more systematic marketing, and it’s been a real positive for building a regulars base.
Q. It’s great to hear DodoPoint has helped with customer data and building regulars. Do you run other events for customers?
We run a roulette game to add a little fun for visitors and funnel them into our KakaoTalk channel. While guests are waiting for their food or paying, they get to spin — and the top prize is a Dior lipstick. Turning that short wait into a small bit of entertainment naturally drives KakaoTalk channel sign-ups.
Q. Finally, anything special you do for your customers?
We pay attention to small things so guests don’t run into any inconvenience — true to the name Gamdong (which means “deeply moved”).
First, the restroom. It’s an older building, so the restroom is outside. It can be hard to find, so we marked the path from the entrance to the restroom clearly to make it as easy as possible for guests.
Second, hair ties. When you’re eating, you naturally lean forward, and long hair can get in the way. So we keep a hair tie on every table to help guests with long hair eat comfortably.
Third, our team. We don’t have a big staff, but I believe a place can only feel good for guests if the people working there feel good too. So before every shift we cheer each other on, and I talk with the team often — within boundaries — to catch and fix any pain points early.
True to our name, Gamdong Sikdang will keep working to move our guests. We won’t get drunk on success — we’ll remember the days of chasing down our first customers and keep going from there.
We met a restaurant that hit 100 million KRW in monthly revenue despite COVID and a difficult economy. There’s nothing especially fancy about the interior — it’s the owner’s passion, the taste of the food, and the attention to detail that make it work. The owner’s strong convictions about customer data, plus DodoPoint quietly supporting that, seem to have multiplied the effect.
If you’re struggling with operations because of constraints in your environment, or weighing whether to start your own business, Gamdong Sikdang’s story is worth a careful read.