"'Silbi Kimchi Flavor French Fries'... Lotteria's 'Infinite Challenge' with 1000% Operating Profit Growth"

Seasoned Fries 'Silbi Kimchi Flavor Seasoning' Launched
Stimulating Consumer Curiosity with Experimental Spirit
Lotte GRS Aims to Surpass 1 Trillion Won in Sales This Year

Kimchi reference photo [Image source=Getty Images]

Lotteeria's endless challenge continues. This time, they have added Silbi Kimchi flavor to their French fries. Silbi Kimchi, known for its spiciness, has been a challenge target for mukbang YouTubers and influencers for years. Since breaking industry stereotypes with the Burdock Burger in 1996, Lotteeria has continued its experimental spirit by launching unique burgers and desserts over the decades.

According to the distribution industry on the 28th, Lotteeria released a seasoned French fries product called 'Silbi Kimchi Flavor Seasoning' the day before. Seasoned French fries are fries sprinkled with various seasonings like onion and cheese and shaken before eating. The newly launched Silbi Kimchi flavor seasoning maximizes the spicy taste of kimchi, beloved by Koreans. The crispy and savory fries are enhanced with the spicy umami flavor of Silbi Kimchi.

A Lotteeria representative explained, "With the recent trend of preference for spicy flavors, we utilized the familiar Silbi Kimchi through SNS trends like 'spicy challenge' and 'spicy kimchi,' and expanded our seasoning lineup to broaden consumer choices."

The news of the Silbi Kimchi flavor seasoning release sparked both admiration and sighs among consumers across various channels. One consumer said, "I'm curious but feel like I would regret eating it," while another said, "It's so experimental that I can't even imagine the taste." Nonetheless, a common reaction was, "Once again, I am amazed by Lotteeria's sincerity."

Although Lotteeria is a burger franchise, it is taking a different path in menu development compared to McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, and Mom's Touch. Celebrating its 45th anniversary this year, Lotteeria's experimental nature is incomparable.

In November 1996, reflecting the well-being trend, they launched the Burdock Burger. Instead of lettuce, it contained burdock root and was coated with Lotteeria's signature teriyaki sauce. Although it was discontinued after about a month, it was a clear demonstration of Lotteeria's spirit of challenge.

In 1999, they introduced the Rice Burger, considered the origin of the rice burger. Instead of a hamburger bun, it used compacted rice. It became famous through a commercial featuring comedian Nam Hee-seok and Kim Han-saem of Hans Band singing the jingle "Rice Burger~Lotteeria." Early versions had durability issues, with the rice falling apart as soon as customers received it. After several modifications, it was re-released and was reborn last year as the Jeonju Bibim Rice Burger. Since its official launch in December, it has sold 800,000 units in one month.

Since then, Lotteeria has continued to release unique burgers such as the Ramen Burger in 2015, the Folder Burger in 2020, and the Military Burger in 2020.

The most unique recent menu item is the King Donkatsu Burger. As the name suggests, it is a product with a very large pork cutlet sandwiched between buns. It was operated as a test menu in December last year and gained fame on YouTube, leading to a limited release in February this year.

The mukbang video of the K-King Donkatsu Burger posted by YouTuber Chimchakman recorded 1.3 million views. At the time, Chimchakman commented, "I have no confidence in developing something more creative than this."

Lotte GRS, which operates Lotteeria, plans to continue developing original menu items. A Lotteeria representative said, "The curiosity stimulation that can only be provided through Lotteeria's burger and dessert menus ultimately leads to high sales, resulting in successful consumer target development. We will strive to satisfy consumers through the development of unique customized menus using consumer databases in the future."

Meanwhile, Lotte GRS is aiming for 1 trillion KRW in sales this year. Last year, on a consolidated basis, sales increased by 18.27% year-on-year to 924.2 billion KRW, and operating profit surged by 1123% to 20.8 billion KRW. Although Lotte GRS recorded losses during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the downturn in the food service industry, it turned profitable with an operating profit of 1.7 billion KRW in 2022.