Korean Burger Battleground
By the end of this month, “Five Guys,” one of the top three American burger chains, will be launching its first branch in the Gangnam district of Seoul, South Korea, drawing attention to competition in the premium burger market.
According to industry insiders on June 1, In-N-Out Burger, the only one of the top three American burger chains not yet to have launched in South Korea, has introduced pop-up stores in the country four times, in 2012, 2015, 2019, and most recently on May 31 this year.
The In-N-Out pop-up store, originally intended to operate from 11 AM to 3 PM, saw more than 200 people lining up even before its opening. As a result, the 500 prepared items sold out less than an hour after the store opened.
In-N-Out Burger, the only one of the top three American burger chains to not yet have entered South Korea, applied for a trademark in the country in 2012. According to the Patent Office, if business is not conducted for three years after the registration of a trademark, a non-use cancellation trial can be filed. Therefore, it is speculated that the chain has been opening pop-up stores periodically to protect its trademark.
Shake Shack, another of the top three American burger chains, was introduced in 2016 by Vice President Hur Hee-soo, a third-generation member of the SPC Group. After being captivated by the taste of the product and the lively atmosphere during a visit to Shake Shack at Madison Square in New York in 2011, Vice President Hur brought the chain to South Korea. Shake Shack's first branch in Gangnam was unprecedented for a burger menu, creating an “open run” and a “line” for the first time for the burger joint.
Five Guys, which is set to open at the end of this month, is an ambitious project by Kim Dong-seon, a third-generation member of the Hanwha Group and the strategic director of Hanwha Galleria Corporation. Notably, Director Kim demonstrated his dedication to Five Guys by wearing an apron and learning burger-making at two Five Guys outlets in Hong Kong for two days last April. There is speculation that the success of Five Guys could lead to an invisible war among third-generation chaebol children in the burger market.