[비즈한국] Theborn Korea is attracting attention for its brand renewal efforts after filing for a new Paik's Coffee logo that excludes the face of CEO Paik Jong-won. To mark the 20th anniversary of Paik's Coffee this year, Theborn Korea is pushing for a major Brand Identity (BI) overhaul. This transformation plan includes a change in BI, the introduction of an integrated membership program, the launch of new menu items, and various promotions. Industry experts are watching to see if Paik's Coffee can reduce its reliance on CEO Paik's personal image and strengthen its brand independence.
It has been confirmed that Theborn Korea has created draft designs for a new Paik's Coffee logo that excludes the face of CEO Paik Jong-won. According to the Korean Intellectual Property Office's KIPRIS, Theborn Korea filed two new logo applications for Paik's Coffee on May 14. Unlike the current logo, which features CEO Paik’s face, the new designs consist of one character with a smiling face and another featuring a smiling face integrated with a coffee cup and bread.
However, Theborn Korea stated that these are merely draft designs and not the final version. A company official stated, "We are currently in the planning stage, gathering opinions from stakeholders regarding several candidates. It appears the trademark applications were filed during that process," adding, "Nothing is finalized, as we still need to undergo offline testing and there is a possibility of modifications during the decision-making phase."
Theborn Korea's Win-Win Committee resolved to proceed with the Paik's Coffee brand renewal during its 6th regular meeting held at the end of April. The Win-Win Committee is a consultative body launched in June 2025 to institutionalize win-win structures, involving franchisees, company employees, and external committee members. During the meeting, the committee decided to proceed with major initiatives in June to celebrate the 20th anniversary, including a BI overhaul, new menu launches, the introduction of an integrated membership, and promotional activities. CEO Paik remarked, "We will provide as much support as possible to help the brand achieve mid-to-long-term growth while overcoming difficult times together."
Following news of the Paik's Coffee BI overhaul, there has been speculation in the industry that CEO Paik's face would be removed from the logo. The analysis suggests that given the strong symbolic association with CEO Paik, reducing reliance on a specific individual would be advantageous for evolving the brand image and ensuring long-term sustainability. Theborn Korea has already applied the new BI with updated fonts to the signage of new stores opened in April and May.
The brand renewal is being carried out sequentially. Starting June 11, Theborn Korea will transition the standalone Paik's Coffee membership into an integrated membership for all its brands. This is part of an effort to reorganize the platform to allow users to utilize multiple Theborn Korea brand memberships within a single app.
Although Theborn Korea initially stated that it would hold a voting event for customers to select the new design during the Paik's Coffee renewal process, it appears this will not proceed. A company official explained, "The decision regarding the BI rests primarily with the franchisees and the head office," adding, "The idea of a consumer vote was only discussed as a potential promotion."
Paik's Coffee is a core brand of Theborn Korea, launched in June 2006, and boasts the highest number of stores among the 25 brands currently operated by the company. In September 2018, it also launched the related bakery brand 'Paik's Coffee Bread Lab.' According to Theborn Korea's quarterly report, as of the first quarter of 2026, there are 1,833 Paik's Coffee locations (including 2 directly managed stores), while the Paik's Coffee website stated 1,867 locations as of June 2.