Apr 18, 2022 / No. 157
It has been almost three years since COVID-19 first emerged. According to Park Bok-young, a professor of economy at Kyunghee University, the economy of Korea is now gradually recovering by drawing a v-shape. Economic movements are becoming more active as the government loosens its restrictions. The restaurant companies that suffered the most from the COVID-19 pandemic are also regaining their former activity due to these changes.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, restaurant workers found an alternative called “solo dinner” as a form of economic recovery. Due to the increase in single-person households and the influence of the pandemic, it is common to see people eating alone in restaurants. Solo dinner refers to a single person dining menu that one can enjoy alone. In particular, restaurants located close to universities have many college students living alone nearby, so they are targeting those students to revitalize the food service market. Reporter of The Ajou Globe (The AG) figured out which restaurants are popular among Ajou University students.
This is the result of a survey with 25 Ajou University students about the restaurants located near the university and the popular menus. Names of the restaurants were based on the notation of the Naver Map application. According to the results of the survey, the most popular Korean restaurant was Woomandong Jokbaljip, which topped the list with 44%. The students' favorite menu at this restaurant was the lunch special. Imo’s Handmade Noodle Soup and Dumesangol ranked second and third, receiving 28% and 16% of votes, respectively. Among Western restaurants, ON THE DECK and Pasta&Grill tied for first place. Approximately 32% of students preferred ON THE DECK and Pasta&Grill, 8% higher than votes for LECOMA Pizza&Taco, which came in second with 24% votes. The menu item that students order the most in ON THE DECK is the classic cheeseburger. The most popular menu item in LECOMA Pizza&Taco is the beef chop steak. Finally, a survey of Chinese restaurants showed that Jjamppong Joa was the most popular with 32% of votes. The menu item that students order the most at this restaurant is spicy seafood noodle soup, which was recommended by half of the students who chose this restaurant.
It is clear that stores are more often managed as chain businesses, and it is hard to find stores managed as private businesses. In particular, these connected operations are commonly found in the restaurant industry market. This does not mean that people should not consume famous brands of food. It is up to people themselves to choose one of the various restaurants and enjoy a meal wisely. However, if possible, supporting the many unique restaurants near school will also be of great help to the development of restaurants around Ajou University.
By Yang Ha-yoon, AG Cub reporter
purplei0454@ajou.ac.kr