Which Long-Lasting Brands Remained Steady Sellers Despite the Prolonged COVID-19 Pandemic?

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Hyewon]As the COVID-19 pandemic continues into its third year, the domestic dining industry is facing overall difficulties due to restrictions on private gatherings and social distancing measures. In this situation, the franchise industry is overcoming the crisis during COVID-19 by promoting ‘steady seller’ menus that remain popular anytime and anywhere.

Steady seller menus symbolize the brand’s identity and play a role in enhancing its image even in difficult times, and they are considered a key reason why franchise brands have been loved for a long time.

School Food has firmly established itself as a leading long-lasting domestic brand by promoting its steady seller ‘Mari.’ Mari uses four or fewer types of ingredients inside, making it easy to eat in one bite. It offers a unique special mayo sauce and crunchy spicy jangajji, giving it a distinct charm different from traditional gimbap. As of May last year, it boasts high popularity with sales surpassing 77 million rolls.

There are about 10 varieties, including the ‘Spanish Squid Ink Mari’ made with premium Spanish squid ink, the ‘Mozzarella Spam Egg Mari’ which combines salty spam and mozzarella cheese, and the ‘Toktok Flying Fish Roe Mari’ with fresh flying fish roe, making it enjoyable for all ages and especially suitable as a snack for children.

Moms Touch’s ‘Ssaiburger’ is a steady seller menu that has driven the brand’s growth and celebrated its 17th anniversary this year. The Ssaiburger was created using chicken thigh meat patties, hence the name ‘Ssa(i) (thigh) Burger.’ The moist whole thigh meat patty is seasoned spicy and harmonizes with fresh onions, lettuce, and sauce, appealing to a wide range of age groups from children to middle-aged adults.

BBQ’s ‘Golden Olive Chicken’ has been loved as a representative domestic chicken since its first introduction in Korea in 2005, now 18 years ago. Unlike conventional frying oils, Golden Olive Chicken is fried using 100% extra virgin olive oil, a premium olive oil, which has become the brand’s core identity.

Riding on the high demand for Golden Olive Chicken, BBQ launched the ‘Hot Golden Olive Chicken Series’ last year, an expanded and enhanced version of the original, and surpassed sales of over 2.5 million units within 10 months, strengthening its position in the industry.

Outback Steakhouse has consistently attracted domestic popularity by offering ‘Toowoomba Pasta’ as its signature menu, which adds spiciness to Western cuisine to suit Korean tastes. Toowoomba Pasta is made by stir-frying shrimp in olive oil, then adding milk and cheddar cheese powder. As delivery demand increased due to COVID-19, it was developed as a delivery-exclusive menu to proactively meet consumer needs.

As a result, last year, delivery orders for Toowoomba Pasta, along with Outback Garlic Steak and Double Mushroom Steak, increased sharply by 170% compared to the previous year, securing stable sales despite the prolonged pandemic.

An industry insider said, “In the rapidly changing dining trends due to COVID-19, it has become important for franchise companies to develop signature menus with their own unique and differentiated flavors and personalities,” adding, “We hope that steady seller menus, loved consistently over a long time, will increase consumer revisit rates and help overcome the crisis during COVID-19.”

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