Food companies are scrambling to open new stores
Incheon International Airport is emerging as a new battleground for the food and restaurant industry. As the number of foreign tourists visiting Korea increases amid the spread of the global K-culture boom, the competition between K-food vendors in the airport targeting these tourists is in full swing.
According to sources in the food industry, CJ Freshway recently opened ‘Gourmet Bridge T2 East Branch’ at Incheon International Airport Terminal 2. This store, which sells snacks and Korean cuisine including bibimbap, soybean paste stew, and noodles, is 1730m2 (approximately 523-pyeong) in size, the largest among the food courts in the airport. Including the three existing stores, the total seating capacity is 1,500.
CJ Freshway expects the number of store users to exceed 4 million, with its four planned stores expected to be fully operational at Incheon International Airport this year. As a result, sales in the concession business, which operate food and beverage stores at multi-use facilities such as airports, rest areas, and hospitals, are also expected to increase by 14% from KRW 140 billion last year to KRW 160 billion.
Lotte GRS also opened a hybrid smart café at Incheon International Airport Terminal 2, combining franchise café Angel-in-us and gelato brand Gelccine.
This café features ‘Barris Drip,’ a barista robot installed for the convenience of airport users.
Lotte GRS is operating 49 stores across all areas of Incheon International Airport Terminals 1 and 2.
Ottogi recently started to promote K-ramen by opening Ramen Library in the airport lounge by collaborating with Incheon International Airport. The store offers 14 different varieties of Ottogi ramen, accounting for 70~80%, along with ramens from other companies.
Nongshim is also selling ramens, including Shin Ramen and Chapagetti, and confectionery at airport convenience stores and duty-free food corners. Nongshim is the only Korean food company to open a Shin Ramen snack shop at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York in December last year. About 200 to 250 people are visiting the store every day.
OURHOME is operating 30 food and beverage stores at Incheon International Airport Terminals 1 and 2. Among them, Cheongun Miga, which opened in Terminal 1 last September, is a Korean food specializing restaurant responding to international tourists’ growing interest in K-food.
It sells hot pot in an earthenware pot, hot stone pot bibimbap, and stew.
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