In-N-Out Burger Returns to South Korea, Locals Flock to Seoul Pop-up Store in Record Number

In-N-Out Burger, an American fast-food chain, has finally returned to South Korea. The burger joint enters the Korean market again by opening a pop-up store in Seoul this week.

The In-N-Out Burger pop-up store opened on Wednesday, May 31, in Gangnam-gu, and it was an exclusive launch that only run for four hours. With the short time limit, The Korea Herald reported that a record number of people flocked to the location and lined up for hours despite the hot weather.

A staff revealed the customers waited outside the pop-up store in Centre Cheongdam for a long time, and they were there before the scheduled opening of 11 a.m. With the apparent tremendous welcome, the burger store successfully made its comeback in the region.

Although the brand is considered to be on a similar level as other American fast-food chains - Shake Shack and Five Guys - that were also launched in Korea earlier, In-N-Out’s opening drew in the most crowd.

"People have been lining up since 1 a.m.," the publication quoted a part-time store employee as saying. "We sold out even before we opened as all the 500 wristbands that are needed for the entrance into the restaurant have been given out to the people standing in lines, before 11 a.m."

In-N-Out Burger’s manager of special foreign events, Luis Hernandez, also told The Korea Herald regarding the brand’s pop-up store opening in the country, "This is a part of our global marketing strategies. We do pop-ups in multiple countries and give some of the franchise's products out to global consumers so they can try our burgers.”

The event was In-N-Out Burger’s fourth pop-up launch in Seoul. It started in 2012, and the last one took place in 2019.

As per The Korea Times, the pop-up stores are organized by In-N-Out Burger’s headquarters. The brand may officially enter the Korean market later, but the company’s executives have yet to sit down and seriously discuss this matter. The launch will be easier because the chain already has trademark rights in the country.

Photo by: Thomas Kilbride/Unsplash