Banquet Noodles Served in a Coffee Cup... CU Launches 'Nudlikano'

CU announced on the 29th that it will launch 'Noodleccino,' which serves Janchi Guksu in a coffee cup. The photo shows a customer eating Noodleccino.

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] CU, which has attracted attention with various brands and unique collaborations, is now launching a product targeting 'funsumers' (consumers who enjoy the fun aspect of a product when purchasing it).

On the 29th, CU announced the launch of ‘Noodleccino,’ allowing customers to enjoy Janchi-guksu, a representative street food from pojangmacha (street food stalls), anytime and anywhere. This product was planned as a follow-up to last year’s collaboration between CU and the coffee brand Tom N Toms, which introduced Tom N Toms Tteokbokki. That product, designed with the fresh idea of secretly eating tteokbokki in a coffee cup, sold out its initial 20,000 units in less than a week, gaining huge popularity.

Noodleccino is a portmanteau of Americano and noodles, featuring a fun concept where Janchi-guksu is served in a takeout coffee cup, allowing customers to enjoy the noodles as casually as drinking coffee. Unlike regular somyeon noodles, it uses thin aged noodles that soften in hot water within 30 seconds, enabling immediate consumption without waiting for the noodles to cook. The price is 1,800 KRW.

The preparation method is simple. After adding the Janchi-guksu noodles and powdered soup, pour water up to the line indicated on the cup holder, then top with the included seaweed and sesame garnish. Finally, use the enclosed fork to loosen the noodles and eat. The broth boasts a refreshing and clean taste made with domestic anchovy stock.

The reason CU continues to introduce differentiated products with interesting stories is that products targeting funsumers have received positive consumer responses and significantly increased sales.

Last month, CU first launched two types of ‘Eomukccino (Refreshing, Spicy / 2,500 KRW each),’ which gained great popularity after online communities shared reviews praising the unique concept of enjoying fish cake, usually eaten at pojangmacha, conveniently like coffee even in the office.

Thanks to the success of Eomukccino, CU’s refrigerated soup and stew category sales have risen by 22.5% over the past month compared to last year. This growth rate is about four times higher than that of the instant fish cake category (5.6%). Even similar products sell better when they target funsumers.

Gong Jeong-tae, team leader of the Home Meal Products Team at BGF Retail, said, “As ‘Gajambee’ (getting great value for money) has emerged as this year’s consumer trend, we planned differentiated products that offer great fun at reasonable prices. CU will continue to collaborate with the big data team to analyze consumer trends and consistently introduce trendy products.”

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