CU Opens 'K-Ramen Specialty Convenience Store' in Hongdae, Seoul

105 Types of Bagged Ramen and Over 120 Types of Cup Ramen
Instant Ramen Cookers and Tasting Counters Available

Convenience store CU announced that it opened the industry's first 'K-Ramen Specialty Convenience Store (CU Hongdae Sangsang Branch)' themed around ramen in Hongdae, Mapo-gu, Seoul on the 4th.

The K-Ramen Specialty Convenience Store is a differentiated model under the concept of a 'Ramen Library,' featuring a comprehensive collection of over 100 popular packaged ramen varieties from both domestic and international brands. It offers about three times the variety of packaged ramen compared to the average 30 varieties found in typical convenience stores.

At the K-Ramen Specialty Convenience Store, customers can enjoy a total of 105 types of packaged ramen, including 90 varieties representing Korea such as Shin Ramyun, Buldak Bokkeummyeon, and Jin Ramyun, as well as 15 international ramen types like Japan's Sapporo Soy Ramen, Fujiwara Hokkaido Hakodate Salt Ramen, Vietnamese Pho, and Indonesian Mie Goreng. When combined with over 120 types of cup ramen, the store offers approximately 225 varieties of ramen in total.

CU has opened a convenience store specializing in ramen in Hongdae. Under the concept of 'Ramen Library,' the store features over 100 popular domestic and international bagged ramen varieties, making it the convenience store with the largest selection of ramen nationwide, according to the company.
[Photo by BGF Retail]

One side of the store is decorated with a giant ramen-exclusive display shelf measuring 6 meters wide and 2.5 meters high, consisting of 100 compartments. Additionally, there are three instant ramen cooking stations where customers can cook ramen on-site. The store environment is designed to stay true to the concept, featuring recommended topping recipes that pair well with ramen and standing tasting tables modeled after cup ramen containers.

Besides the ramen specialty shelves, the store also has a separate corner dedicated to alcoholic beverages. The selection includes about 150 varieties of drinks such as wine, whiskey, highballs, craft beer, and traditional Korean liquors.

Through the K-Ramen Specialty Convenience Store, CU plans to offer a new shopping experience to ramen enthusiasts and foreigners interested in K-culture. This strategy also aims to create new demand for K-ramen.

A BGF Retail official stated, "As ramen export revenue has surpassed 1 trillion won, establishing K-food as a leading representative, we planned this unique convenience store that gathers K-ramen in one place. Moving forward, CU will continue to lead convenience store trends and introduce various differentiated stores that provide customers with unique experiences."