As dining-out prices soar, fast food has emerged as a meal option offering a "new taste" for around 10,000 won. Unlike the past when it served only as an affordable and convenient way to get a quick meal, its expanding menu variety continues to attract solo diners seeking unique culinary experiences.
On the 13th, NH NongHyup Bank analyzed approximately 67 million transactions across eight major fast food brands by 7.4 million NH Card customers from July 2025 to June this year. The results showed that 55% of all transactions were under 10,000 won. For No Brand Burger, 66.4% of transactions were under 10,000 won, and for McDonald's, the figure was 63.0%. The average transaction amount was 12,000 won.
More than half of fast food transactions falling below 10,000 won is attributed to "solo diners" (consumers eating alone) actively choosing fast food as a meal option.
In particular, industry experts note that in recent times, consumers' desire to try new foods at dedicated fast food restaurants—alongside the appeal of low prices—is drawing more solo diners. The strategy involves using unique ingredients and collaborating with famous chefs to create new menu items that spark curiosity about taste, encouraging repeat visits.
According to KB Research Institute's "2026 Single-Person Household Report" released last month, 32.7% of single-person households responded that they "try new and diverse foods," up 3.6 percentage points (P) from 29.1% in 2024. Especially among those in their 20s, the figure rose to 43.3% during the same period. This indicates a growing adventurous attitude toward taste, particularly among young single-person households.
Interest in new tastes is also reflected in sales figures. Two versions of Burger King's "Boiling Seafood Burger," released in June as a reinterpretation of the Louisiana seafood dish "Boiling Seafood," surpassed 10 thousand won cumulative units sold within about three weeks of launch. The initial supply of ingredients was so quickly exhausted that emergency procurement was required to resume sales.
Menu items developed in collaboration with famous chefs sometimes become permanent offerings. Lotteria's two versions of the "Napoli Muffin Mozzarella Burger," created in partnership with Chef Kwon Sung-jun, were launched as limited-time items and sold 4 million units within three months. Recording the highest sales among new products over the past two years, they were converted to permanent menu items in May last year.
Another strategy involves adding new ingredients to existing menus to create variations. This approach helps bridge the time gap until a completely new product can be launched. In June, McDonald's introduced "McNugget Double Beef" and "McNugget Spicy Chicken," both utilizing America's iconic dish "Mac & Cheese." These were variations of a product originally released in 2021, expanded to include beef and chicken options to broaden consumer choices.
Reviving past popular menus follows the same logic. MamsaTchi launched the Nashville Hot Chicken Burger on the 10th as its fourth product under the "Back to the TOUCH" project, which reintroduces discontinued popular items as limited releases. This strategy aims to attract both customers seeking nostalgic flavors and those who missed out on trying the burger when it was first released in 2020 with its spicy taste that built a dedicated fanbase.
An industry official stated, "It's easy to find consumers visiting stores alone to try new menu items, take photos and videos, and share them as SNS content." They added, "The low price burden makes it easier for customers to take risks on new tastes, which is a unique strength of fast food."
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