How to Apply to CJ Foodville

12 min read Last updated April 20, 2026 1 open positions
Blake Crosley
Blake Crosley Researched using publicly available information, hiring data, and ATS analysis.

Key Takeaways

  • CJ Foodville is the F&B subsidiary of CJ Group, a major Korean chaebol — joining means plugging into a Seoul-centric corporate hierarchy with shared services across CJ CheilJedang, CJ ENM, CJ Logistics, and CJ Olive Young.
  • The brand portfolio is plural, not unified: Tous Les Jours, Vips, Bibigo restaurants, and TGIF Korea are distinct businesses with different positioning, customer bases, and operational rhythms.
  • A Twosome Place was sold off and is no longer materially part of CJ Foodville — do not apply to A Twosome Place expecting a CJ Foodville role.
  • Korea-based corporate hiring runs through the centralized CJ Group portal at recruit.cj.net with bilingual application flow and a substantive self-introduction essay requirement.
  • International expansion — particularly Tous Les Jours in the US and Asian markets — is a real growth driver, but most international stores are franchisee-operated rather than corporate-owned.
  • The Korean F&B market is mature, competitive, and labor-cost pressured; expect a disciplined operating environment rather than a high-growth startup atmosphere.
  • F&B work realities are honest and consistent: long hours, weekend and holiday shifts, early bakery production starts, and physical demands; assess fit before accepting.
  • The K-food global wave is a tailwind, especially for bakery and Korean BBQ concepts, but Paris Baguette (SPC Group) remains the global K-bakery category leader to beat.

About CJ Foodville

CJ Foodville Co., Ltd. (CJ푸드빌) is the food and beverage operating subsidiary of South Korea's CJ Group, headquartered in the CJ Building in Jung-gu, Seoul. The company runs a portfolio of restaurant, bakery, and casual dining brands across Korea and select international markets, with roughly 3,000 or more employees domestically and additional staff supporting overseas operations. CJ Foodville sits inside one of the largest Korean chaebol conglomerates, controlled by Chairman Lee Jay-hyun and the Lee family, alongside sister companies including CJ CheilJedang (KOSPI: 097950, food manufacturing and the Bibigo retail product line), CJ ENM (KOSPI: 035760, entertainment including Mnet, Studio Dragon, and tvN), CJ Logistics, CJ Olive Young (the dominant Korean health and beauty retailer expanding into US physical stores), and CJ Olivenetworks (IT services). Joining CJ Foodville means plugging into the broader CJ Group ecosystem with shared corporate services, group-wide HR systems, internal mobility opportunities across subsidiaries, and the cultural expectations that come with a large Korean conglomerate hierarchy. The brand portfolio reflects CJ Foodville's positioning across multiple Korean F&B categories. Tous Les Jours (뚜레쥬르) is the flagship French-style bakery cafe chain with 1,300 or more stores spanning Korea, the United States, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Mongolia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Japan. Vips (빕스) is a Korean steakhouse and family restaurant chain that went through a difficult mid-2010s contraction and has since pivoted toward a Korean BBQ and salad bar concept that has stabilized the business. T.G.I. Fridays Korea operates as a CJ Foodville franchisee under license from the American T.G.I. Fridays brand. Bibigo branded full-service Korean restaurants in select markets sit separately from the Bibigo retail products manufactured by sister company CJ CheilJedang, though both operate under the same Bibigo umbrella brand. A Twosome Place (투썸플레이스), the Korean dessert and coffee chain, was historically part of CJ Foodville but was sold to Carlyle Group around 2021 and subsequently to Anchor Equity Partners in 2023; current commercial relationships between A Twosome Place and CJ Foodville have substantially diminished, and candidates should not assume A Twosome Place roles are CJ Foodville roles. Smaller Italian and casual dining brands have come and gone through divestiture cycles over the last several years. The broader Korean F&B market context matters for any candidate considering CJ Foodville. The dining-out market normalized after the COVID disruption but remains highly competitive and mature, with rising minimum wage pressure squeezing labor cost lines across all chains. CJ Foodville has executed a strategic restructuring over the 2020-2024 period, divesting smaller and underperforming brands to concentrate on core franchises (Tous Les Jours, Vips, Bibigo restaurants, and TGIF). The K-food global boom — Korean BBQ, K-bakery, Korean fried chicken, and broader Korean food culture export — has been a real tailwind for international expansion, particularly for Tous Les Jours in the US and Bibigo restaurants where they operate. Domestically, key competitors include SPC Group (which owns Paris Baguette, the dominant K-bakery rival), Starbucks Korea (the Shinsegae and Eland joint venture), Hollys Coffee (KOSDAQ: 089470), Compose Coffee (KOSDAQ: 281410), Mega Coffee, Ediya Coffee, Outback Steakhouse Korea, Ashley by E.LAND, Mom's Touch (KOSDAQ: 220630), Lotteria, BBQ Chicken (Genesis BBQ), Kyochon, and Bonchon. Joining CJ Foodville means joining a specific brand subsidiary inside a multi-brand holding company, not a unified single-brand operator.

Application Process

  1. 1
    Identify the specific brand and entity you are applying to: Tous Les Jours corpo

    Identify the specific brand and entity you are applying to: Tous Les Jours corporate, Vips operations, Bibigo restaurant, TGIF Korea, or CJ Foodville headquarters functions are distinct hiring tracks even though they all sit under the same legal entity.

  2. 2
    For Korea-based corporate, brand, R&D, or operations roles, apply through the ce

    For Korea-based corporate, brand, R&D, or operations roles, apply through the centralized CJ Group careers portal at recruit.cj.net, which handles hiring across all CJ subsidiaries with a bilingual Korean and English interface.

  3. 3
    Expect the CJ Group portal flow to require account creation, structured self-int

    Expect the CJ Group portal flow to require account creation, structured self-introduction essay (자기소개서) responses to motivation and competency prompts, resume and academic transcript uploads, and bilingual application data.

  4. 4
    For store-level positions in Korea

    For store-level positions in Korea — store managers (점장), kitchen staff, bakers, baristas, servers, shift leads — apply directly at the store, through job boards like Saramin and JobKorea, or through the brand's recruiting microsites.

  5. 5
    For international positions in the US, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Mong

    For international positions in the US, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Mongolia, the Philippines, or Japan, apply through the local brand careers page or regional job boards; many international stores are franchisee-operated, in which case the franchise operator handles hiring directly.

  6. 6
    Tailor the resume to the specific track: corporate roles want brand, marketing,

    Tailor the resume to the specific track: corporate roles want brand, marketing, supply chain, R&D, or franchise development keywords; store-level roles want POS systems, food safety credentials, production volume, and customer service metrics.

  7. 7
    Expect a multi-stage process for CJ Group corporate hires consistent with chaebo

    Expect a multi-stage process for CJ Group corporate hires consistent with chaebol norms: resume screen, recruiter call, hiring manager interview, panel interview with senior leaders, and for some tracks a presentation, case task, or group discussion.

  8. 8
    CJ Group runs structured seasonal public recruiting drives in Korea (typically s

    CJ Group runs structured seasonal public recruiting drives in Korea (typically spring and fall) for new graduate and entry-level hires; mid-career and specialist roles are posted year-round on a rolling basis.

  9. 9
    Be prepared to discuss why CJ Foodville specifically versus competitors like SPC

    Be prepared to discuss why CJ Foodville specifically versus competitors like SPC Group (Paris Baguette parent), and which brand within the CJ Foodville portfolio you are most aligned with — generic 'I want to work in F&B' answers underperform.

  10. 10
    Follow up with recruiters within a week of each interview stage; in Korean corpo

    Follow up with recruiters within a week of each interview stage; in Korean corporate culture, formal and respectful persistence is valued, but skip the casual American-style follow-up cadence.

Resume Tips for CJ Foodville

recommended

Lead with relevant F&B, bakery, restaurant, hospitality, or specialty retail exp

Lead with relevant F&B, bakery, restaurant, hospitality, or specialty retail experience — CJ Foodville hiring managers scan for direct category experience before considering adjacent industries.

recommended

Quantify operational metrics: store revenue managed, units produced per shift, c

Quantify operational metrics: store revenue managed, units produced per shift, customer transactions per hour, team headcount, food cost percentage, labor cost percentage, waste reduction, or franchise expansion numbers if applicable.

recommended

Call out Korean language ability prominently — for Seoul corporate roles, busine

Call out Korean language ability prominently — for Seoul corporate roles, business-level Korean is typically required; for international or branch roles, even intermediate Korean is a meaningful differentiator given CJ's Seoul-centric reporting structure.

recommended

For corporate marketing, brand, or international expansion roles, demonstrate fa

For corporate marketing, brand, or international expansion roles, demonstrate familiarity with Korean and broader Asian consumer trends, K-food cultural context, and ideally direct experience with Korean or Asian markets.

recommended

For supply chain, R&D, or operations roles, name specific systems and frameworks

For supply chain, R&D, or operations roles, name specific systems and frameworks: SAP, Oracle, ERP platforms, HACCP, FSSC 22000, cold chain logistics, frozen dough or commissary production, and central kitchen operations.

recommended

Include relevant certifications: Korean food sanitation licenses (위생교육 수료증), HAC

Include relevant certifications: Korean food sanitation licenses (위생교육 수료증), HACCP training, barista certifications, ServSafe (US), allergen training, or culinary degrees from recognized institutions.

recommended

If you have franchise development, multi-unit management, or new market entry ex

If you have franchise development, multi-unit management, or new market entry experience, surface it prominently — Tous Les Jours international growth and Vips re-expansion both depend on franchisee and area developer relationships.

recommended

Avoid bloated objective statements or generic summaries; both CJ Group recruiter

Avoid bloated objective statements or generic summaries; both CJ Group recruiters and brand-level hiring managers prefer compact, evidence-driven resumes that reach concrete results within the first ten lines.

recommended

Translate any local-market work into globally legible terms while preserving rec

Translate any local-market work into globally legible terms while preserving recognized brand names — Korean recruiters will know Lotte, Shinsegae, SPC, Aeon, and similar regional players without explanation.

recommended

Keep formatting ATS-friendly for the CJ Group portal: standard fonts, no graphic

Keep formatting ATS-friendly for the CJ Group portal: standard fonts, no graphics-heavy templates, clear section headers, and a clean PDF export — design-heavy resumes parse poorly through the recruit.cj.net flow.

ATS System: Custom (CJ Group recruit.cj.net portal in Korea; mixed systems internationally)

CJ Group operates a centralized custom careers portal at recruit.cj.net that serves all CJ subsidiaries including CJ Foodville, CJ CheilJedang, CJ ENM, CJ Logistics, and CJ Olive Young. The portal is bilingual Korean and English, requires account creation, and uses structured self-introduction essay (자기소개서) prompts in addition to resume upload. International CJ Foodville roles are not consistently routed through a single ATS — Tous Les Jours US positions may appear on LinkedIn, Indeed, ZipRecruiter, or the brand careers page; Asian market roles often go through local boards; and franchise store roles in any market are typically handled by the individual franchisee using whatever local hiring tool they prefer.

  • For Korean corporate applications, set aside several hours for the self-introduction essay (자기소개서) — the CJ portal expects substantive multi-paragraph responses to motivation, competency, and growth-story prompts, not one-line answers.
  • Create a CJ Group portal account early so you can save drafts and reuse essay content across multiple CJ subsidiary postings without rebuilding from scratch each time.
  • Upload a clean PDF resume in addition to filling structured fields — recruiters cross-reference both, and inconsistencies between portal data and resume PDF can flag the application for re-review.
  • For international roles, treat each posting as potentially routed through a different system; build a generic clean PDF resume that parses well across LinkedIn, Indeed, and direct uploads rather than over-optimizing for one specific ATS.
  • Watch for Korean-language postings on the CJ portal that are not translated into English — if you cannot read them, ask a Korean-speaking contact or use a translation tool to confirm whether the role is open to non-Korean speakers.
  • Do not rely on email follow-up alone — for Korean roles, the portal status updates are often the only formal signal, and franchise store hiring managers internationally frequently respond by phone or in person rather than email.

Interview Culture

CJ Foodville interview culture varies sharply by brand, geography, and level.

For Korea-based corporate roles inside the CJ Group structure, expect a formal multi-round process consistent with broader chaebol hiring norms: a recruiter screen, a hiring manager interview, a panel interview with multiple senior leaders, and for some tracks a presentation, group discussion, or case task. Interviewers ask competency-based questions tied to CJ Group's stated values, probe motivation for choosing CJ over rivals like SPC Group, and expect candidates to demonstrate familiarity with the specific brand portfolio they are applying into. Honorifics, formal Korean business etiquette, and conservative dress are standard, and English-only candidates are rare in Seoul corporate roles unless the position is explicitly international or expat-track. For international corporate hires in the US or other expansion markets, the process is closer to standard local F&B corporate interviewing — recruiter screen, hiring manager video call, in-person or final-round panel — but with a recurring undercurrent of CJ Group reporting structure and Seoul headquarters alignment that surfaces in questions about cross-cultural collaboration, willingness to work across time zones, and openness to Korean business norms. Strong candidates demonstrate that they understand they are joining a global Korean company embedded in a chaebol, not a locally-native independent brand. For store-level roles across all geographies — store managers, kitchen staff, bakers, baristas, servers, shift leads — interviews are informal and operational. The hiring manager (often a franchise operator at international locations or a Korean store manager domestically) focuses on availability, customer service instincts, food handling experience, prior F&B work, and reliability. The long-hours reality of Korean F&B operations is honest and consistent: weekend and holiday work is standard, early bakery shifts begin before dawn, restaurant shifts run late, and standing for full shifts is the norm. Be honest with yourself about willingness to work the actual hours of an F&B operating role before accepting an offer.

What CJ Foodville Looks For

  • Genuine interest in the specific brand category — bakery for Tous Les Jours, casual family dining for Vips, full-service Korean for Bibigo restaurants, casual American for TGIF Korea — rather than generic F&B fungibility.
  • Cultural fluency or at least sincere cultural curiosity about Korean business norms, especially for corporate roles plugged into the Seoul HQ chaebol communication chain.
  • Operational discipline: store leaders who hit labor cost, food cost, and waste targets; corporate operators who can manage complex multi-unit systems across hundreds of stores.
  • Brand differentiation literacy — candidates who understand how each CJ Foodville brand positions versus its specific competitors (Paris Baguette for Tous Les Jours, Outback for Vips, casual dining peers for TGIF).
  • Franchise relationship skills for development, training, and field operations roles: the ability to coach, support, and hold accountable independent franchise operators rather than relying on direct command-and-control authority.
  • Language ability: business-level Korean for Seoul HQ roles, English for international and US roles, and Vietnamese, Mandarin, Bahasa, or Tagalog for specific Asian market positions.
  • Resilience under chaebol hierarchical structure: the ability to navigate group-wide approvals, internal politics, and parent-company priorities without losing operational momentum.
  • Customer experience instincts that translate brand concepts into specific local markets — what works in Seoul may not work in Houston, Ho Chi Minh City, or Phnom Penh.
  • Numeracy and comfort with P&L, unit economics, traffic and average ticket data, and the ability to defend operational recommendations with data rather than instinct alone.
  • Stamina and tolerance for the actual physical and time demands of F&B work — long hours, weekend shifts, standing for entire shifts, and the operational rhythm of restaurant and bakery production.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CJ Foodville the same company as CJ CheilJedang?
No. CJ Foodville and CJ CheilJedang are separate legal entities under the same CJ Group parent. CJ CheilJedang (KOSPI: 097950) is the food manufacturing arm that produces Bibigo retail grocery products, Spam Korea, and other packaged food. CJ Foodville is the restaurant and bakery operating company that runs Tous Les Jours, Vips, Bibigo branded restaurants, and TGIF Korea. They share the CJ Group umbrella, some corporate services, and group-wide HR systems, but they are distinct businesses with separate hiring tracks.
Is A Twosome Place still part of CJ Foodville?
Substantially no. A Twosome Place was sold to Carlyle Group around 2021 and subsequently to Anchor Equity Partners in 2023. While there may have been historical brand and licensing relationships, A Twosome Place currently operates as a separate company. Candidates interested in A Twosome Place specifically should apply directly to A Twosome Place rather than through CJ Foodville channels. Verify the current ownership and corporate relationship before assuming any role overlap.
What is the relationship between Bibigo restaurants and Bibigo retail products?
Both use the Bibigo brand under CJ Group, but they are operated by different subsidiaries. Bibigo branded full-service Korean restaurants in select markets are operated by CJ Foodville. Bibigo retail products — frozen mandu, kimchi, Korean BBQ sauces, and other grocery items sold in supermarkets — are manufactured and marketed by CJ CheilJedang. The brand strategy is coordinated at the CJ Group level, but the day-to-day operations and hiring are separate.
Do I need to speak Korean to work at CJ Foodville?
It depends on the role and location. For Seoul-based corporate roles, business-level Korean is typically required because day-to-day work, internal documents, and meetings happen in Korean. For international roles in the US, Vietnam, China, or other expansion markets, local language is the primary requirement, but Korean is a strong differentiator because reporting lines often run back to Seoul HQ. For store-level roles internationally, local language is what matters most. For store-level roles in Korea, Korean is essentially required.
How does CJ Group's chaebol structure affect day-to-day work?
Working inside a Korean chaebol means a more hierarchical decision-making structure than typical Western F&B companies, with formal reporting lines, group-wide approval processes for significant decisions, and cultural expectations around honorifics, seniority, and formal communication. There are also real benefits: internal mobility across CJ subsidiaries, shared corporate services, employee discounts across CJ brands (CJ Olive Young, CJ ENM content, CJ Logistics, etc.), and the stability that comes with a large established conglomerate. Candidates should weigh both sides honestly.
What are the long hours like at CJ Foodville?
Honest answer: F&B operations are demanding everywhere, and Korean F&B is no exception. Bakery roles often start before dawn for fresh production. Restaurant roles run late evenings, weekends, and holidays. Store managers typically work six-day weeks. Corporate roles in Seoul are subject to broader Korean corporate culture norms around long hours, though CJ Group has made some public commitments to work-life balance improvements over the last several years. International corporate roles tend to follow local norms more closely. Be honest with yourself about your tolerance for these hours before accepting any operational role.
How does CJ Foodville compare to Paris Baguette (SPC Group)?
Paris Baguette, owned by Korean rival SPC Group, is materially larger than Tous Les Jours globally, with roughly 3,000 or more stores including a stronger US footprint and significant China presence. SPC Group is a different chaebol with its own corporate culture and brand portfolio. Tous Les Jours competes head-to-head with Paris Baguette in most major markets, and CJ Foodville's K-bakery growth strategy is consistently measured against Paris Baguette as the category benchmark. Expect interviewers to ask why you chose CJ Foodville over SPC if you're applying for bakery roles.
Are Vips locations still expanding or declining?
Vips went through a meaningful contraction in the mid-2010s as Korean family restaurant demand softened and casual dining competition intensified. The brand has since pivoted toward a Korean BBQ and salad bar concept that has stabilized and modestly grown the footprint. It is not a high-growth segment of the CJ Foodville portfolio compared to Tous Les Jours international expansion, but it remains a meaningful operating business with steady hiring needs for store managers, kitchen staff, and operational support roles.
What's the typical hiring timeline for a CJ Group corporate role?
For new graduate and entry-level hires participating in a structured public recruiting drive (typically spring or fall in Korea), the full timeline from application to offer can run six to ten weeks across multiple stages. For mid-career and specialist hires posted year-round, expect four to eight weeks from initial application to offer, depending on the seniority and how many panel interview rounds the role requires. International roles tend to move faster but are still generally slower than typical US-only F&B hiring cycles because of cross-region coordination.
Does CJ Foodville sponsor work visas for international hires?
For Korea-based roles, CJ Foodville can sponsor E-7 specialist work visas for foreign professionals where the role and qualifications justify it, but most corporate roles in Seoul are filled by Korean nationals or permanent residents. For international roles in the US, Vietnam, and other expansion markets, visa sponsorship for cross-border transfers (such as Korean nationals moving to the US to support Tous Les Jours expansion) is more common than third-country hiring. Verify visa policy directly with the recruiter for any specific role; do not assume sponsorship is available.
How are franchise-operated stores different from corporate stores?
The majority of Tous Les Jours stores in Korea and internationally are franchisee-operated rather than corporate-owned. This means the franchisee — often an independent business owner or area developer — handles hiring, scheduling, and day-to-day operations, while CJ Foodville corporate provides brand standards, supply chain, training, and franchise support. For job seekers, this means store-level employment is with the franchisee (not CJ Foodville directly), while corporate roles in franchise development, training, field operations, and supply chain are with CJ Foodville. Compensation, benefits, and culture can vary meaningfully across franchise locations.
What's the K-food global expansion strategy and where does CJ Foodville fit?
CJ Group has publicly committed to K-food global expansion as a strategic growth priority, riding the broader K-everything cultural wave. CJ Foodville's piece is restaurant and bakery operations: Tous Les Jours store growth in the US and Southeast Asia, Bibigo branded restaurants in select markets, and selective expansion of other concepts. CJ CheilJedang handles the parallel push on retail Bibigo grocery products. For candidates interested in international expansion, Tous Les Jours US and Asia-Pacific expansion roles are the most active hiring areas inside CJ Foodville, often based out of regional offices like the Tous Les Jours US headquarters in New Jersey.

Open Positions

CJ Foodville currently has 1 open positions.

Check Your Resume Before Applying → View 1 open positions at CJ Foodville

Related Resources

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Sources

  1. CJ Group Official Website —
  2. CJ Foodville Official Website —
  3. CJ Group Recruiting Portal —
  4. Tous Les Jours Korea Official —
  5. Tous Les Jours US Official —
  6. Vips Korea Official —
  7. T.G.I. Fridays Korea (CJ Foodville franchisee) —
  8. CJ CheilJedang Investor Relations (KOSPI: 097950) —
  9. CJ ENM Investor Relations (KOSPI: 035760) —
  10. A Twosome Place ownership history (Anchor Equity Partners acquisition) —
  11. SPC Group (Paris Baguette parent) — primary competitor reference —
  12. Saramin Korean job board (CJ Foodville postings) —
  13. JobKorea Korean job board (CJ Foodville postings) —
  14. LinkedIn — CJ Foodville company page —