McDonald's Korea said Wednesday it will expand the number of its stores in South Korea to 500 by 2030 as it unveiled its new burger for this year.
The South Korean unit of the U.S. fast-food giant will open eight new drive-thru stores this year as part of its push to operate 500 stores in South Korea by 2030, CEO Kim Ki-won said. The company currently operates around 400 stores across the country.
"We will focus on strengthening all contact points with customers and enhancing convenience to provide a better experience to customers," Kim said in a news conference meant to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the company's establishment.
McDonald's Korea has become a company with annual sales of 1 trillion won (US$766.9 million), with daily customers of 400,000, a dramatic increase from its annual sales of 1.7 billion won and daily visitors of 3,000 in 1988, when it opened its first store in Seoul.
Last year, McDonald's Korea's sales, including those of franchises, hit a record high of 1.17 trillion won, exceeding the 1 trillion-won mark for the second consecutive year.
McDonald's Korea unveiled its new "Taste of Korea" item for 2023, the Jindo Green Onion Cream Croquette Burger, which uses green onions grown on Jin Island, about 350 kilometers southwest of Seoul, as an ingredient.
"Taste of Korea" is a project with the purpose of launching locally inspired products. In 2021, McDonald's launched a new burger using garlic from the southeastern county of Changnyeong, and in 2022, it released a burger using pork from the southwestern county of Boseong, where pigs are fed with the region's popular green tea.
Source: Yonhap News Agency