Customers wait to enter the Ashley Queens Grand NC Songpa store. [Herald DB]
Customers wait to enter the Ashley Queens Grand NC Songpa store. [Herald DB]

Ashley Queens, a buffet brand operated by E-Land Eats, has launched a lower-priced format with unlimited draft beer at select locations.

According to industry sources, Ashley Queens began running a "Grill & Beer" buffet Monday at 11 stores nationwide, offering signature pork ribs and unlimited draft beer as standard menu items on weekday dinners and weekends.

The 11 stores operating the "Grill & Beer" buffet are: Sihwa Hwaseong Dam Square, Newcore Cheonho, Newcore Dong-Suwon, NC Suncheon, NC Gyeongsan, Newcore Pyeongtaek, Dong-A Gumi, 2001 Bundang, NC Jeonju, NC Haeundae and Newcore Gwangmyeong.

The buffet features an unlimited draft beer corner — previously available only with a 4,900-won surcharge — now included during weekday evenings, weekends and public holidays. The adult admission price is 22,900 won ($16), which is 3,000 to 5,000 won cheaper than standard stores in other areas, which charge 25,900 won on weekday dinners and 27,900 won on weekends. The format is designed to offer stronger price competitiveness while centering the experience on unlimited beer, a strategy aimed at capturing demand from family gatherings and similar occasions.

An E-Land Eats official said the change was "an adjustment to the operating model of the existing all-day 19,900-won format, tailored to the characteristics of each store's neighborhood," adding that "no separate end date has been set and it may be adjusted depending on each store's situation going forward."

Ten of the 11 stores — all except the Sihwa Hwaseong Dam Square location — had previously operated under the "All Day 199" model, which unified pricing at 19,900 won regardless of the day or time slot. Ashley Queens introduced that model last year to suit the characteristics of certain trade areas closely tied to residential neighborhoods.

The original All Day 199 format did not include pork ribs, and draft beer required an additional 4,900-won charge. The revamp adds unlimited ribs and draft beer to the lineup, though the price has risen 3,000 won from the previous 19,900-won All Day 199 rate.

Ashley Queens applies different operating models depending on each store's trade area, size and demand. On July 16, it also opened Ashley Queens Grand NC Songpa, a premium-tier store inside the NC department store in Songpa-gu, Seoul. The store expanded from roughly 660 square meters to about 1,120 square meters in a full renovation, and marks the first time Ashley Queens has used the "Grand" designation for any of its locations. It features the brand's largest salad bar to date and has expanded its menu by more than 30 percent. Admission prices remain the same as at other stores. The location also serves as a test bed for new corners and revised operating concepts.

E-Land Eats currently operates 125 Ashley Queens stores nationwide. The chain had just 59 locations in 2022, but more than doubled that count in four years as buffets gained popularity as a value-for-money dining option amid high inflation. Ashley Queens accounts for roughly 70 percent of E-Land Eats' total sales and is the company's flagship brand. This year, the company has set targets of 800 billion won in annual sales and more than 150 stores nationwide by year-end.

The unlimited draft beer corner at an Ashley Queens buffet. [Herald DB]
The unlimited draft beer corner at an Ashley Queens buffet. [Herald DB]

korean@heraldcorp.com