McDonald's Korea
Managing Director Ray Frawley |
By Jane Han
Staff Reporter
Every once in a while, the cravings for fast food are just too strong to resist. So if you must indulge in a burger-and-fries meal, what would you treat yourself to ― McDonald's or Lotteria?
Before even talking taste though, if you're in a rush or simply short on patience, ditch the Korean burger chain because there is nothing fast about the fast food joint. The wait for a simple combo meal can easily take more than 10 minutes, and this kind of annoying delay isn't just a one-time situation at Lotteria.
Even at off-peak afternoon hours, two separate downtown outlets for two
Lotteria CEO Cho Young-jin |
consecutive days last week have kept eaters waiting with a handheld pager, a device not so commonly used at quick eateries.
Many of Lotteria's burger selections aren't readily made to serve, possibly because the company's policy requires all food to be disposed of after 10 minutes of being cooked. If too many are prepared in advance, they end up in the trash bin.
But its rival McDonald's seems to have little problem working around a similarly strict time policy. On the same days around the same time last week, it took just minutes, if not seconds, for the global chain's two central Seoul locations to serve up a combo meal.
McDonald's wins in speed, but who's up top in taste?
Take the bulgogi burger meal ― a top-selling item at both McDonald's and Lotteria ― for example.
With the iconic Korean barbecue sauce being the main flavoring, both burgers naturally didn't taste strikingly different. Still, there was more lettuce in Lotteria's and its patty was thicker and better seasoned than that of McDonald's.
Plus, Lotteria's came out of the wrapper neater, as excess sauce in the McDonald's burger spilled out wetting the buns.
One thing that tasted better for sure at the global chain was French fries with its just-cooked, hot and crispy taste. At Lotteria, even with the long wait in line, the fries were soggy.
However, with all the taste factors aside, for calorie counters, Lotteria may be a safer choice because its per-gram calories tend to be lower and there is no super-sizing available.
As far as price goes, a combo meal at McDonald's runs more than 1,000 won cheaper than what its local rival charges. Add in the special lunch hour and summer promotions, and consumers get even better value.
But picky local eaters don't seem to take this into account as much, as they're apparently more concerned about the burger outlet's new no-refill policy, a rare rule in the domestic fast food market.
The world's largest fast food chain defended its decision by saying that repeated requests for refills often interrupt service for new customers waiting in long queues to order.
Customers might not buy this, but such a strategic business move may be what's behind McDonald's Korea's years-long, two-digit growth. The company does not disclose sales figures, but industry experts say that its average per-store revenue is much stronger than that of Lotteria.
In sheer number of outlets, the Korean hamburger giant is far ahead as most of its chains are franchise-operated, unlike McDonald's, which directly runs almost all of its stores. Lotteria's 2008 revenue generated from 740 stores nationwide totaled 450 billion won.
After more than two decades of cutthroat competition, the two hamburger leaders continue taking turns to introduce new menu and services, such as free delivery and 24-hour operations.
They catch up to one another so fast that consumers don't even notice who started what first. But what fast food chains know is the ongoing improvements are not a choice, but a necessity to keep the increasing crowd of health-conscious eaters coming back for another meal.
jhan@koreatimes.co.kr
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