Vikings Wharf to Open Ilsan KINTEX Branch on the 14th

Focus on the Safest Buffet from COVID-19
Operating with a Response Manual Including Full-Body Disinfection and Mask Distribution
Reservations Limited to a Set Number of Guests per Hour

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] Viking Group, a seafood dining and distribution specialist company, opened the 5th store of Viking's Wharf on the 1st floor of E-Mart Kintex branch in Ilsan on the 14th. 'Viking's Wharf' is a seafood buffet inspired by Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, a world-famous coastal tourist attraction, and is the world's first unlimited lobster and fresh seafood buffet.

While preparing the Ilsan Kintex branch, Viking Group focused on creating a safe buffet that perfectly responds to COVID-19. First, basic quarantine guidelines were established, including QR code entry, temperature checks, strengthened employee hygiene management rules, mask-wearing while moving inside the store, hand sanitizers and disposable gloves at each table, and disinfecting the store twice daily. In addition, a state-of-the-art walk-through body sanitizer was installed at the entrance so customers can enter after full-body disinfection including their belongings. All visiting customers will be given disposable masks and required to replace them before entering.

The menu operation method was also changed. Mixed salad, green salad, cheese, etc., which customers used to serve themselves, were changed to single-serving portions. Appetizers such as red shrimp ceviche, salmon gravlax, and scallop basil pesto, as well as dishes like braised short ribs, steamed eggs, and bamboo rice porridge, are also served in single-serving containers. Furthermore, hot foods and Korean dishes are kept in showcases and served by staff upon customer request. To prevent cross-contamination from tongs, a ‘staff-served’ system was introduced for soups and broths such as galbitang (beef short rib soup), abalone porridge, and seafood doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew).

Especially, the Ilsan Kintex branch operates by accepting reservations while maintaining table distances in consideration of the ‘social distancing in daily life’ guidelines. Although the number of customers who can make reservations is reduced by more than 60% compared to before, to create the safest buffet from COVID-19, only a limited number of 50 people per time slot will be accepted for reservations.

Park Je-jun, CEO of Viking Group, said, "To create the 'safest buffet from COVID-19,' we meticulously developed Viking's Wharf’s own response manual from the early stages of the COVID-19 crisis," adding, "We will operate with utmost priority on quarantine and thorough prevention and blocking of COVID-19, so customers can stay安心 and enjoy lobster and fresh seasonal seafood."