But three years, Korean cuisine from the popular fried chicken down to no one, hard to escape the fate of the decline.

Without the impetus of the Korean wave, is it really on its way out? Is there any chance of a comeback?

Korean cuisine is in decline, and consumers are "abandoning" Korean food? , which has become almost everyone's **** knowledge.

Shenzhen white-collar Chunni (a pseudonym) used to be a Korean group of fans, a few years ago because of the reasons for the star of the Korean culture as well as Korean cuisine is also a deep love for the city's large and small Korean food stores such as a family favorite, often in order to eat a popular store, at the expense of a queue of several hours.

Nowadays, she has long since stopped chasing after stars, and Korean restaurants are so rare that she can't even remember the last time she went to eat Korean food. "I got tired of eating it a few years ago, and now I can't get excited about Korean food at all."

01 Korean cuisine is in decline

A few years ago, under the multiple influences of Korean dramas, Korean celebrities and Korean variety shows and other Korean currents, Korean cuisine once became one of the hottest categories in the country, and it can be seen in all the streets and alleys? . Whether in the north, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, these first-tier cities, or self-centered and laid-back third-tier small towns, you can find out a few restaurants that do Korean food.

Chunni is just a microcosm of the many Korean food consumers in China. With the ebbing of the Korean Wave, the influence of Korean dramas and Korean stars in China has declined sharply, and along with it, Korean cuisine has been left out in the cold day by day. Some data show that the number of domestic Korean food stores at the end of 2017 alone was 15,000 fewer than at the beginning of the year? , and the Baidu search index for Korean food in the past three years has also been trending downward? and the overall search volume is much lower than that of Japanese food.

△ Korean food Baidu search index

At the same time, in a review site searching for Korean food-related restaurants, you will often see the tips of the closure or closed store, which is not lacking many famous Korean food chain brands.

From the popular fried chicken to the miserable closure of stores, Korean food how to fall into such a situation?

02? Climbing to the top and then falling

Compared to the long-established domestic Chinese food category, the exotic Korean food category in the domestic rise of time is not too early. But it has a lot of Chinese food categories can not hope to burst the speed of from no one knows to the red all over the north and south of the river is only about ten years time? .

In fact, Korean food from the top of the popularity of the fall behind the exposure of the Korean food many short boards? .

1 success is also Xiao He, defeat is also Xiao He

Korean pop culture to the Korean material to bring the impact, can not be said is not far-reaching. Red meal (ID: hongcan18) reporter on the development of Korean material in the domestic situation after combing, found that its development in the country by the influence of the "Korean current", showing a clear stage? .

△ Korean food in the domestic development trajectory

The east wind of the Korean Wave, the form of novelty and take the route of the civilian Korean food in the rapid acceptance of young consumer groups to rise. Thus, there is a success or failure of the situation: Korean flow in the country is very hot, Korean material to do a good job; Korean flow ebb, Korean material also followed the decline.

Particularly in 2017, the Saad incident is undoubtedly worse for Korean materials. According to relevant reports, after the SAD incident in 2017, the sales of the Korean food industry in Beijing plummeted by 30%, and even by 70% in serious areas.

In the opinion of Red Dining columnist Wang Lulu, "The symbolic value of the Korean Wave has been decaying, and the influence of the Korean Wave is not as strong as before, which naturally affects the heat of Korean food? ." And, the domestic Korean material is too dependent on the driving force of the Korean wave, the Korean wave prevails what, Korean material brands are following the trend of launching the corresponding products.

This practice can certainly make the brand in a short period of time a hit, but also destined to be only a flash in the pan, ultimately can not escape the fate of the decline. The hot pot of rice cake is a very typical case.

2 single product, weak supply chain

Looking at the Korean food in China in the popularity of this decade, its impression in the minds of consumers is basically roasted meat, kimchi, fried chicken, noodles, and cheesecake ribs, troops rice cake pot? , with no sensational innovations beyond that.

Red meal (ID: hongcan18) reporter counted the domestic some relatively high visibility of the basic situation of the Korean food brand, found that most of the current domestic Korean food brand to grilled meat and fried chicken-based? , while the flavor is basically inseparable from the kimchi, Korean-style chili sauce, dashi? and a few other flavors.

△According to the public information on the Internet

Wang LuLu said, "Korean food behind the ingredients and products is relatively single, Korean food cooking method is relatively crude, Korean food to bring the taste as well as the whole experience value is not so good." Korean food faces the dilemma of single product and little room for innovation. The products in Korean food stores are all pretty much the same, and the flavors were almost the same a few years ago as they are now.

For example, as the main category of Korean food, Korean barbecue meat in more than a decade ago is still a new thing? . Entering a restaurant with shoes off and legs crossed, coming up with a bunch of small dishes before ordering, and grilling slices of meat on a grill pan ...... everything about a Korean restaurant is new to consumers, who come to experience it in droves. It was from that time that Shinsegae Grill and Hannazan began their rise to prominence.

But in 2019, the most popular Korean food category on the market is still barbecue? and the products and formats of barbecue restaurants have not changed much. Nowadays, consumers' vision and insights are unprecedentedly broad, needs and tastes have long been different from more than a decade ago, still in the same place Korean food is bound to be difficult to meet the increasingly diversified consumer demand.

In addition, many Korean restaurants have not kept up with the construction of the supply chain? , supply chain management is still relatively sloppy. In theory, a single product structure is very easy to build a solid supply chain, but most Korean food brands have failed to turn it into an advantage. Compared to Japanese restaurants, which are known for their high-quality ingredients, Korean restaurants do not perform well in terms of ingredients, have no obvious advantages, and fail to leave a deep impression on consumers.

3 Reproducible, resulting in serious homogenization

Korean food products such as barbecue, stone pot bibimbap, and fried chicken are simple to make, very easy to standardize? , can be reproduced very strong. So Korean food can be in a very short period of time from rare to rotten street, because the Korean food store to take the mode is a single category expansion mode. Focus on a single product and constantly replicated, so that the brand can quickly achieve expansion, but also led to serious homogenization.

Whether it's barbecue, stone pot bibimbap or fried chicken,their production threshold is not high, it is difficult to build a product moat for the brand? , Zhang's barbecue meat fire, Lee's immediately can also create a barbecue meat products, one after another, everyone's products are similar, consumers go to which to eat the flavor are not very different.

For example, with the Korean drama "you from the stars" hit, fried chicken instantly became a hit with consumers, Korean fried chicken single store all over the streets, countless brands of fried chicken to take advantage of the rise, often long lines in front of the door. Fried chicken this sub-category, as early as KFC and other veteran fast food brands in front of the pearl, to surpass them is not easy, not to mention the fried chicken itself can do less innovation.

So, you can see the Korean fried chicken brand can quickly run a horse in the early stage, the number of stores rose vertically. But once the passion of consumers retreat, store business also greatly affected? .


This is the first time I've ever seen a restaurant in the United States, and I've never seen a restaurant in the United States, so I'm not sure if it's a good place to start.

The store attracted countless consumers when it first opened, and queues at meal times were the norm. Later, as several fried chicken stores opened in the neighborhood, Zhao's business declined and he continued to lose money.

During this period, he thought of countless ways to adjust and optimize the product,but ultimately there is no way to return to the sky, can only be miserable to close the shop, Zhao also had to do back to work. Xiao Zhao told reporters, "Our store near the fried chicken store days are not good, not to last a year they also have to shut down the transfer."

03 Korean cuisine how to turn around?

In recent years, Korean cuisine because of the impact of all these factors gradually quiet down. Compared to the continuous fire of Japanese food, Korean food is much cooler. In theory, after so many years of market education, Korean food has cultivated a group of loyal consumers, consumer demand is still there, just before it has been stuck in a rut.

Future, Korean food brand how to seize these needs to fight a beautiful turnaround?

1 Product to get rid of a single label, diversified innovation

In the opinion of Red Meal columnist Wang Lulu, "Korean food brand operators need to further insight into the market and consumer demand changes, and strive to do a good job of product development iteration." Korean food to abandon the previous unchanging image, diversified product innovation, in order to bring consumers a continuous sense of freshness.

On the one hand, the original ingredients can be upgraded and iterated? . Take barbecue, grilled pork, beef and other dishes have been very ubiquitous, Korean brands want to stand out in the barbecue category, you have to differentiate and innovate the dishes. For example, Heilai Rare Meat specializes in heart-guarded meat, which is a good way to differentiate itself from other barbecue brands.

On the other hand, can broaden the product track? . Not limited to the traditional Korean food category, the introduction of other innovative dishes. Shanghai's "heard of creative Korean cuisine", is by virtue of Korean cuisine + Japanese cuisine fusion wind, in the Korean food market to open up a new road.

The restaurant's live octopus, beef and kimchi hot pot, thin-bottomed beef pizza and wasabi octopus are all well-received signatures, and the live octopus and pizza bring a very different experience to the restaurant.

Additionally, deepening the supply chain? . Relying on a quality supply chain to break through in the market is not a bad idea. Relying on high-quality ingredients and appropriate cooking techniques, so that the product to conquer the taste buds of consumers, this piece of a great opportunity to be tapped.

2 scenes on the more focused on the sense of experience

The traditional Korean restaurant in the scene of the innovation, mostly confined to the waiters dressed in Korean clothes and playing Korean pop music. These have made today's consumers aesthetic fatigue, a flavor of Korean style but will cause resentment? , it is better to work on other sense of experience.

The more popular Kang Hu Dong Baek Dinh barbecue understands this. As a brand with its own star aura, Hudong Baedin barbecue store in addition to the usual star IP implantation, pay more attention to the shape of the sense of experience. All the ovens and tableware in the store are the same as those in Korea, and the open-file format allows consumers to clearly see the chef's process of handling the food.

3 service refinement

In the store products are similar to the time, fine and professional service is the winning formula? . Haidilao has already explained how to win in the restaurant market with attentive and detailed service, and Korean brands can learn from this practice.

For barbecue restaurants, the smell of fumes is a big problem, if you can use a large extractor fan to resolve the situation of fumes, it is bound to be recognized by consumers. In addition, barbecue grill plate is easy to paste, if the waiter can often take the initiative to replace the grill plate or directly for the customer grilled meat, but also to prepare for the customer cell phone plastic cover and glasses cloth, then the customer good sense will also rise.

The reporter analyzed a number of consumer reviews of Korean restaurants and found that in addition to the quality of the product, the service is the most frequently mentioned word by consumers. . A very small service move can determine the overall impression of consumers for the store. Therefore, in the spelling product spelling production at the same time, the quality of service should not be underestimated.