Food and Dining Industry Competes with Premium Strategy Using 'Suje' Menus

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Hyewon] Recently, while craft beer has been soaring in popularity in the alcoholic beverage industry, the food and dining industry is also targeting consumers by introducing ‘craft’ menus emphasizing premium quality. These products differentiate themselves from existing ones not only in taste but also in texture and visual appeal, aiming to attract both existing customers and create new ones. In particular, they are targeting the MZ generation, who have a strong tendency to seek new experiences and fun.

According to the industry on the 22nd, KFC recently launched a premium burger called the ‘Black Label Double Down Max,’ which allows customers to experience the taste and texture of handcrafted chicken even more deeply.

The Black Label Double Down Max is a newly added menu lineup in the ‘Double Down Max’ series, which is made only with chicken at KFC. It stacks Black Label whole chicken thigh fillets on the top and bottom, with whole pork belly bacon in between, maximizing the flavor and chewiness of the meat while presenting a luxurious visual.

Instead of the usual hamburger bun, the Black Label whole chicken thigh fillet is seasoned with KFC’s secret recipe and breaded by hand in-store before cooking, offering consumers a crispy exterior with a soft interior and juicy meat.

Dunkin’ opened its flagship store ‘Dunkin’ Live,’ which operates by making donuts directly in the store’s kitchen and selling them on the same day.

All products at Dunkin’ Live focus on taste and quality, featuring ‘handcrafted gourmet donuts’ made in-store, ‘art donuts’ created in collaboration with artists, ‘specialty coffee,’ and trendy ‘food menus.’

Ministop recently launched two types of premium ready meals: handcrafted fried rolls. These products reinterpret the Mexican food burrito in a fried form and were developed to introduce differentiated fast food items.

Products that allow consumers to enjoy the flavor of premium desserts have also appeared. H?agen-Dazs introduced the premium handcrafted chocolate ice cream cake ‘H?agen-Dazs Beyond Chocolat’ in collaboration with dessert chef Justin Lee.

The cake features layers of H?agen-Dazs’ signature chocolate flavor and cookies and cream, characterized by a rich and heavy chocolate taste. On top of the cake, crispy chocolate crunch balls add texture variety, and cacao nibs finish the flavor.

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