Seoul Shilla Hotel Suspends Weekend Service of Apple Mango Bingsu Due to 'COVID-19'

Over 150 COVID-19 Cases from Itaewon
Concerns Due to Hygiene-Sensitive Hotel Industry
Cost Structure and Weekend Traffic Congestion Also Impacting

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] Seoul Shilla Hotel will temporarily suspend weekend and holiday sales of its signature menu, Jeju Apple Mango Bingsu, this year to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

On the 15th, Seoul Shilla Hotel announced on its official website, "To prevent the spread of COVID-19, the operating hours of 'The Library' on the first floor will be shortened, and Jeju Apple Mango Bingsu will not be sold on weekends and holidays."

The revised operating policy will take effect from the 23rd of this month, with the duration yet to be determined. The Library's operating hours will also change to 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

The hotel’s signature menu, Jeju Apple Mango Bingsu, is a limited summer season item that started selling on the 29th of last month and will be available until August 31. The average daily sales volume is about 100 bowls, serving 2 to 3 people each, meaning approximately 300 visitors per day. Especially on weekends, customer traffic tends to increase.

Recently, with the resurgence of COVID-19 cases due to the Itaewon cluster infection, the hotel has been on high alert. Given the hotel industry's characteristics closely linked to cleanliness and hygiene, there is a strong sense of crisis regarding stigma. As of noon on the 15th, the cumulative number of confirmed cases related to Itaewon clubs was 153.

It is also observed that a business judgment influenced the decision, considering that the product does not yield much profit due to its cost structure. The price of one bowl of bingsu is 54,000 KRW, but the total cost including Jeju mangoes (33,000 KRW), materials, and labor costs is about 53,000 KRW. Excluding value-added tax and service charges, it is actually at a loss. Although a cost-linked pricing system was applied, the price was frozen at last year’s level this year in consideration of the difficult situation faced by Jeju farmers due to COVID-19.

Additionally, this measure is interpreted as considering traffic congestion issues caused by limited parking space. Recently, as road and facility construction has been underway around Seoul Shilla Hotel, the waiting time for valet parking on weekends, when wedding events are frequent, has increased, leading to growing customer complaints. Finding a solution has become urgent.

However, Jeju Shilla Hotel continues to sell Apple Mango Bingsu normally on weekends and holidays.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.