Expansion to 49 Military Units for Outsourced Meal Services
Focus on Large Training Units and Rear Units
Military Meal Outsourcing Project to Be Prioritized
As the number of meal recipients remains stable and profitability forecasts become possible, the path to providing military meals that attract the catering industry's interest is expanding, intensifying competition among private catering companies.
According to the catering industry on the 31st, the Ministry of National Defense will expand the number of military units subject to private outsourcing of military meals to 49 this year. Since 2022, the Ministry of National Defense has gradually increased the military meal outsourcing project. This is a measure to prepare for the shortage of cooks and the decline in proficiency due to the reduction in troop numbers and shortened service periods, as well as to reduce the burden of meal operations on units.
Civilian cooks preparing meals for soldiers at the Army Training Center's civilian-contracted barracks dining hall. Photo by Yonhap News Agency, Ministry of National Defense
The military meal outsourcing was promoted as a pilot project in 2022. After expanding to 13 units in 2023, it was implemented in 26 units last year. This year, the Ministry of National Defense decided to add 23 more units, making a total of 49 units where private outsourcing meals will be provided. The target number of personnel is 58,000, which is about 15% of the total meal recipients.
The Ministry of National Defense plans to prioritize the military meal outsourcing project mainly for large-scale training units and rear units with a high burden of meal operations. The response of soldiers to private outsourced meals also appears to be positive.
With the private catering market currently saturated, the prospect of a new market in military meals has prompted catering companies to prepare for entry. Although the unit price in the military meal market is not high and profitability is limited, it has the advantage of securing meal recipients stably and predictably.
The catering industry expects the market to grow to about 2 trillion won annually if meals can be provided to all soldiers. Currently, in the Korean military meal market, Pulmuone Food & Culture, which conducted the military meal pilot project, leads by providing meals to the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Dongwon Home Food is entrusted with catering at four Army and Air Force units.
Samsung Welstory, the number one catering company, has been providing meals to the Korea Military Academy and the Army 3rd Officer Academy since last year. Ourhome, ranked second, operates outsourced meals at three locations, including the Air Force 20th Fighter Wing.
Recently, 10 companies participated in the bid for private outsourcing of the mess hall at the 30th Regiment of the Army Training Center in Nonsan, Chungnam. Catering companies are on alert ahead of the decision to select the preferred negotiation candidate on April 7.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
