Americano coffee was the best-selling item at highway rest stops nationwide during last year's chuseok holiday, topping both sales volume and revenue — outpacing iconic rest stop staples such as walnut cakes, ramyun and udon.
Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Hwang Hee of the National Assembly's Land and Transportation Committee obtained data from the Korea Expressway Corporation showing that 877,000 cups of Americano were sold at highway rest stops across the country during the five days surrounding last year's chuseok holiday. Revenue reached 4.18 billion won ($3.07 million), the highest of any item in both volume and sales.
Snacks ranked second in volume with 686,000 units sold, followed by ramyun at 648,000. Canned and bottled coffee beverages came in fourth at 530,000 units, with walnut cakes close behind at 529,000.
The revenue rankings told a different story. Donkatsu placed second with 2.78 billion won, followed by udon at 2.71 billion won, walnut cakes at 2.66 billion won and ramyun at 2.14 billion won.
Americano's dominance is no fluke. It has ranked first in both volume and revenue at highway rest stops during the chuseok holiday for five consecutive years, from 2021 through last year.
The drink's convenience drives strong sales — it is easy to consume while driving and can be purchased at any time, unlike meal items tied to specific mealtimes.
Ramyun sales also drew attention, rising sharply over the same period.
Ramyun sales during last year's chuseok holiday surged 119.7 percent from the previous year, lifting its ranking from seventh to third, according to Korea Expressway Corporation data.
Growing demand from travelers seeking a quick, affordable meal at rest stops appears to have driven the increase, with ramyun's relatively low price drawing more buyers.
Donkatsu and udon punched above their weight in revenue despite lower unit volumes, as both are sold as full meals and carry higher per-item prices than snacks or coffee.
Food prices at highway rest stops have been rising consistently.
As of August this year, the average price of donkatsu at highway rest stops stood at 11,454 won, up 27.5 percent from 8,984 won in 2021, according to Korea Expressway Corporation data.
The average price of Americano rose 19.2 percent over the same period to 4,845 won. Walnut cakes averaged 5,420 won, while bibimbap crossed the 10,000-won mark at an average of 10,068 won. Hot dogs were up 15.5 percent from 2021, udon 12.9 percent and cafe latte 11.0 percent.
Dividing last year's chuseok Americano revenue of 4.18 billion won by the number of cups sold yields an average per-cup revenue of about 4,760 won — roughly in line with current average rest stop prices.
Among individual rest stops, Haengdamdo rest stop on the West Coast Expressway posted the highest revenue during the holiday period.
Haengdamdo rest stop recorded sales of 1.44 billion won over the five days surrounding last year's chuseok. Deokpyeong rest stop followed with 1.25 billion won, then Siheung Sky rest stop at 787 million won, Cheoin rest stop at 784 million won and Jinyeong rest stop in the Busan direction at 681 million won.
The Korea Expressway Corporation has designated meals, ramyun, udon and bottled water as "value products" to ease the price burden on travelers. This year it added donkatsu to the list. Some snacks — including walnut cakes, tteok skewers and hot dogs — are also sold for 3,700 won or less under a separate budget-snack program.
"Highway rest stops are places where drivers cannot easily find alternatives if prices feel burdensome," Hwang said. "The prices of food that people frequently buy on their way home for the holidays are directly tied to the cost of living as people experience it."
He added that the government's ongoing push to reform rest stop services "must go beyond plans and translate into real improvements in price and quality."
rainbow@heraldcorp.com
