McDonald’s adds alcohol to Korean menu

Fast food chain McDonald’s is to open its first Asian outlet selling alcohol in Korea next month.

McDonald’s is set to add alcohol to its menu at a new branch in Korea

McDonald’s Korea confirmed to the Korea Herald that its Pangyo Techno Valley restaurant in the Gyeonggi Province will be the first in the region to serve alcohol alongside its food menu.

“We have concluded that it is time for a ‘burmaek’ (a compound of ‘burger’ and ‘maekju’ — beer in Korean), just as Korea has become the epicenter of ‘chimaek’ (chicken and beer) and ‘pimaek’ (pizza and beer) craze,” a McDonald’s Korea spokesperson told the title.

It is thought the venue will be allowed to sell alcohol because the Pangyo Techno Valley area attracts a “young, hip, well-paid and tech-driven” audience, rather than its usual family-oriented crowd.

“At the moment this is a beta test, and we do not have plans to increase the number of outlets (where this is offered) in the near future,” the spokesperson continued. However, analysts say that alcohol could be sold in up to 20 other McDonald’s restaurants across Korea, potentially setting a precedent for other fast food chains in the country.

The Pangyo Techno Valley location is not the first time McDonald’s has included alcohol on its menu. The chain already serves alcohol in some European locations, including Germany and France.

However, UK boss Paul Pomroy recently told a conference that it is unlikely UK diners would be able to order cocktails with their Big Macs, reports the Nottingham Post.

“Listening to our customers, they are telling us that at the moment they don’t believe alcohol is a requirement of their visit to us.

“Because we trade 24 hours a day, seven days a week in over half of our restaurants, I don’t think local authorities would be too accepting of us trading all-day with alcohol in store.”

In November 2015, Burger King was thought be the first fast food chain in the UK to add alcohol to its menus.