[MyPerson] The Man Who Walked 20,000 Steps a Day Visiting Only Airport Restaurants

④ Son Hae-tae, Head of Lotte GRS Concession Business Team
Responsible for Food and Beverage Operations at Airports, Hospitals, Hotels
Expecting New Openings at Incheon International Airport and Hanam Rest Area to Increase

"Walking around the restaurants at Incheon International Airport several times a day... Walking 18,000 to 20,000 steps a day is basic."

On the 12th, Son Eui-tae, head of the Concession Business Team at Lotte GRS, was photographed after conducting an interview with reporters at the Lotte GRS headquarters in Geumcheon-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Hye-won

There is an employee who walks 20,000 steps daily in front of the food court at Incheon Airport. This is Son Eui-tae, the Concession Business Team Leader at Lotte GRS, which operates and manages various food and beverage franchise brands in multi-use facilities such as airports, hospitals, train stations, and hotels.

Team Leader Son said, "In the past month, I inspected all 16 Lotte GRS concession business sites nationwide," adding, "Especially at the Incheon Airport site, I walked 20,000 steps a day." Incheon International Airport Corporation does not operate the food court directly but selects companies to operate food and beverage franchises through bidding. This is why Son had to meticulously inspect every corner of the food and beverage business sites managed by Lotte GRS.

During the COVID-19 period, when overseas travelers stopped coming, sales at Incheon Airport dropped to less than half, causing significant difficulties for Lotte GRS. However, with the recent recovery in travel demand, Lotte GRS's performance at Incheon Airport is gradually improving. Son explained, "During COVID-19, due to the nature of the airport, sales took a direct hit, and we had no choice but to endure through rent reductions and scaled-down operations. After three tough years, passenger recovery rose to about 40% early last year and about 70% around June to July last year, with sales recovering accordingly."

Lotte GRS's concession business operation store 'Plating' Incheon Airport T1 branch.
[Photo by Lotte GRS]

Since January this year, Lotte GRS has been expanding its business rights within Incheon Airport, aiming higher. In November last year, Incheon International Airport Corporation announced a bid for the operation of the food and beverage complex business rights at Terminal 1 (T1) and Terminal 2 (T2). The bid covered 190 out of 221 total stores. Lotte GRS acquired the FB2 food and beverage business rights, allowing it to expand from 29 to 38 locations. With successful new brand entries, they expect annual sales of about 250 billion KRW and total expected sales exceeding 1 trillion KRW during the operation period until the first contract ends in 2028.

Regarding differentiation from competitors such as SPC, Ourhome, and Pulmuone, Team Leader Son emphasized, "The most important capability is how well franchise lease contracts and direct or franchise store management are handled." He added, "In that respect, Lotte GRS has a competitive edge over competitors because it has brands across various categories including dining out, franchises, buffets, and fine dining restaurants."

Lotte GRS's concession business operation store 'Plating' Gimhae Airport branch.
[Photo by Lotte GRS]

Lotte GRS has been actively developing its concession business, a new growth area, since August 2016. Starting with Seoul Gangdong Kyung Hee University Hospital, it now operates food and beverage sites at SRT stations (Suseo, Dongtan, Jije stations), Haeundae Paik Hospital, Incheon International Airport, and Gimpo International Airport terminals. Son said, "The concession business framework is not fixed and can always change flexibly depending on the environment or timing, so its growth potential is limitless." He added, "For this reason, other competitors will also try to expand this business as a future competitive advantage."

Meanwhile, Lotte GRS formed a four-party consortium with Dongbu Construction, Shinhan Bank, and KH Energy in 2022 to participate as the project operator for the Hanam Dream Rest Area transfer-type complex rest facility, scheduled for completion in 2027. Once completed, Lotte GRS will hold the operation rights for the Hanam Dream Rest Area facilities for 25 years.