Even Walnut Pastry and So-tteok So-tteok Were Surpassed... What Is the Most Popular Food at Rest Areas?

Americano Tops Sales at Rest Areas During Lunar New Year and Chuseok Holidays
Haengdamdo Rest Area Recorded Highest Sales Nationwide

During the holiday season, the most popular food sold at rest areas on highways nationwide was found to be Americano coffee.

According to data received by Yang Kyung-sook, a member of the National Assembly's Planning and Finance Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, from Korea Expressway Corporation on the 10th, Americano ranked first in sales at rest areas during last year's Lunar New Year holiday period (January 21?24).

On the 29th, marking the start of the peak summer vacation period, Gapyeong Rest Area on the Chuncheon-bound direction in Gyeonggi is bustling with travelers' vehicles. / Gapyeong = Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

A total of 399,500 Americanos were sold, generating sales of 1.7694 billion KRW.

The second most popular item was hodugwaja (walnut pastry), with 366,400 units sold and sales of 1.749 billion KRW. Following were udon (267,000 units, 1.6865 billion KRW), tteok-kkochi (rice cake skewers) such as ‘Sotteok Sotteok’ (241,600 units, 995.1 million KRW), and caf? latte (163,000 units, 812.3 million KRW).

Americano also held the top sales position during last year's Chuseok holiday period (September 28?October 1). Udon ranked second, followed by hodugwaja, tteok-kkochi, and donkatsu (pork cutlet) in third to fifth places, respectively.

The rest area with the highest sales nationwide during last year's Lunar New Year holiday was Haengdamdo Rest Area, with sales of 855.7 million KRW. The second place was Deokpyeong Rest Area (784.8 million KRW), and the third was Siheung Haneul Rest Area (540 million KRW). Haengdamdo and Deokpyeong Rest Areas also held the first and second places in sales during the Chuseok holiday, while Pyeongtaek Rest Area took third place.

Iced Americano [Image source=Pixabay]

Meanwhile, on the 9th, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced that Korea Expressway Corporation will expand the ‘Affordable Snacks’ program at major rest areas starting this month. The program, which previously offered three types of snacks such as tteok-kkochi and hodugwaja, will be expanded to more than 10 types depending on the size of the rest area, with prices capped at 3,500 KRW or less.

Previously, during last year's National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee audit, the soaring snack prices, such as tteok-kkochi priced over 4,500 KRW at certain rest areas, became a controversy. In response, Korea Expressway Corporation lowered food prices starting from this Lunar New Year holiday through support measures such as adjusting rental fees.

Furthermore, Korea Expressway Corporation is reportedly discussing the establishment of a rest area food price disclosure system by creating an online platform to provide related information and encourage price competition among rest area operators.