Cho Seo Hyung eliminated after loss to Kim Mi Ryung, saying "Street Restaurant Fighter needs a name change"
Cho Seo Hyung was eliminated from tvN's Street Restaurant Fighter after losing to Chef Kim Mi Ryung. Having received a star rating of 3.2, Cho Seo Hyung conceded the bitter defeat.
Veteran businessman Cho Seo Hyung failed to overcome the seasoned expertise of Kim Mi Ryung, who honed her skills on the market floor. In the 6th episode of tvN's 'Street Restaurant Fighter,' Cho Seo Hyung of 'Byeol-eun Nae Gaseume' and Kim Mi Ryung of 'Gotgan' faced off in a high-stakes Korean food battle. While Cho Seo Hyung attempted unconventional service tactics, such as gifting crowns to customers to attract business, he was ultimately eliminated after falling behind Kim Mi Ryung in both total sales and star ratings.
Cho Seo Hyung's Bold Marketing Strategy: The Crown Event
In the broadcast on July 26, Cho Seo Hyung personally selected Kim Mi Ryung as his opponent. Explaining his motivation, he stated, "I have been in the food business for a long time, but the intuition, balance, and 'hand-taste' of these veteran ladies are in a league of their own. If this is a mountain I must eventually climb, it is better to do it sooner rather than later." Serving spicy stir-fried pork as his first-round menu, Cho Seo Hyung initially struggled against Kim Mi Ryung, who had prepared fried dishes from the start. To turn the tide, Cho Seo Hyung stepped outside to engage in aggressive street marketing. When Kim Mi Ryung expressed concern, asking, "CEO Cho, are you really going to do that?", he responded, "This is how you attract customers. To be a true businessman, you must capture people's hearts."
Cho Seo Hyung deployed an event designed to tap into consumer psychology as his winning move. To match the festive atmosphere, he distributed balloon crowns to customers who purchased food, then designed a follow-up event where returning customers could receive double portions of fried small shrimp by bringing the crowns back. He demonstrated his 11 years of experience by remembering the faces of returning customers and engaging them in conversation. When faced with a crisis where he ran out of ingredients and faced potential closure, he showed quick thinking by rushing to the supply station to whip up 15 servings of sujebi (hand-torn noodle soup) and 5 servings of spicy stir-fried pork belly on the spot.
A Defeat Realizing the Barrier of Experience with a 3.2-Star Rating
After a fierce battle, Kim Mi Ryung emerged victorious. Cho Seo Hyung presented a half-and-half perilla seed jjamppong sundubu for the second round, but he only managed a 3.2-star rating. Customers commented, "The taste is good, but because it was cooked in the bottom of the pot, it tastes salty and burnt." Fellow competitor Lee Jae Beom also confessed, "I was so overwhelmed that I think I failed to season it properly. The flavor went off at the end." Kim Mi Ryung won by outperforming Cho Seo Hyung in both sales and star ratings.
Accepting his defeat, Cho Seo Hyung conceded the result, saying, "I have 11 years in the business, but Chef Kim Mi Ryung started from the basement of a market; I realized once again that you truly cannot beat years of experience. Business is truly a battle against time." Upon his elimination, he expressed his disappointment, saying, "I have to change my name now. I can't be the 'Business Genius' anymore." This match was the final hurdle of the Round 2 '1-on-1 Same-Price Battle.' It followed the French match won by Edward Kwon and the 5,000 won lowest-price match where Jung Ho Young defeated Kim Min Sung.
Eliminated Contestants Declare Closures and Kim Min Sung's Revival
As soon as the Round 2 battles concluded, an announcement was made on-site: "Please proceed with immediate closure." The scene fell into chaos as many top contenders were eliminated. Im Gi Hak of 'Volabo' expressed regret, saying, "It would have been better if we had done more fun things," while Kim Kwan Hoon of 'Everything About Tteokbokki' remarked, "We are famous for not having closures, but business doesn't always go according to plan." Cho Seo Hyung added, "It is truly sad to close a shop because it failed. If I had just paid a little more attention, the shop wouldn't have gone under."
However, a chance for a comeback was provided. Kim Min Sung of 'Minine,' who recorded the highest star rating of 4.6 among the Round 2 eliminated teams, seized the opportunity to return. Upon hearing the news of Kim Min Sung's survival, his opponent Jung Ho Young reacted by saying, "I feel a bit more at ease." The surviving contestants will move to an amusement park commercial district, which sees up to 14,000 daily visitors, to perform the Round 3 mission. Round 3 will be conducted as a 100-bowl relay team battle.
Summary of Round 2 Battle Results
The Round 2 '1-on-1 Same-Price Battle' held during the previous 5th episode saw contrasting fortunes in every match. In the French Master match, Edward Kwon emerged victorious, and in the 5,000 won lowest-price match, Jung Ho Young survived by outperforming Kim Min Sung. In the 35,000 won highest-price match, Kim Ho Yoon suffered a comeback loss to Go Seok Hyun's 'Agungi' after receiving star rating deductions due to complaints about a burnt taste. Amidst the "early sell-out" crisis of Chinese cuisine master Lee Yeon Bok, Kim Kwan Hoon managed to overturn the sales lead, creating a 1-on-1 tie.
