Cheaper Than Campus Meals... CU Launches Baek Jong-won's Ultra Cost-Effective Dosirak

by Jeon Jinyoung

Published 12 Apr.2022 06:44(KST)

A student is choosing Baek Jong-won's rice bowl at CU.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jinyoung] The lunchboxes priced around 2,000 won that had disappeared are back. On the 12th, according to the industry, CU partnered with culinary researcher Baek Jong-won to launch two ultra-low-priced lunchboxes (Cheongyang Eomuk Deopbap, Sausage Kimchi Deopbap) targeting students, maximizing cost-effectiveness.

Cheongyang Eomuk Deopbap is a product with rice cooked from newly harvested rice topped generously with stir-fried fish cakes simmered in a spicy soy sauce with Cheongyang chili peppers. As a side dish, it includes stir-fried kimchi, a popular side dish in convenience store lunchboxes. The Sausage Kimchi Deopbap is also a one-dish meal featuring plump sausages and tangy kimchi stir-fried together and served over rice.

Although the price was lowered, carefully selected trustworthy ingredients such as domestically grown Saecheongmu rice and premium sausages with a high pork content were used, and Baek Jong-won’s special recipe was applied to create a popular taste.

The selling price of the two products is 2,900 won, the lowest among lunchboxes currently sold in the convenience store industry. As of last year, the average price of convenience store lunchboxes was 4,500 won, and lunchboxes priced in the 2,000 won range are being released for the first time in about three years based on CU.

CU’s release of ultra-cost-effective lunchboxes despite rising raw material prices is due to its collaboration with culinary researcher Baek Jong-won to reduce the dining burden on students with tight budgets.

As COVID-19 prolonged, on-campus student cafeterias that became difficult to operate either shut down or raised menu prices by about 20-30%, increasing the food expenses burden for students returning to school.

Earlier this year, the menu prices at major university cafeterias in Seoul rose to between 3,000 and 5,000 won. Even ‘Noryangjin Cupbap,’ considered the soul food of exam takers and a symbol of low-priced dining, raised its price earlier this year and is now sold at 3,500 won.

To offer competitively priced products, CU leveraged know-how such as bulk purchasing of ingredients used in ready meals to lower unit costs and simplifying recipes to minimize cooking processes.

Kim Yukyung, MD of the Ready Meal Team at BGF Retail, said, “We planned a highly cost-effective product with generous portions, good quality, and reasonable prices for students who feel a heavy burden due to ongoing price increases since the beginning of the year,” adding, “CU will continue to release products with various price ranges and concepts, from premium to cost-effective items, to satisfy customer needs.”