To mark Armed Forces Day, the food and beverage industry has stepped up efforts to show appreciation for military service members. Companies are selling hamburgers and pizza at half price, offering free sets, and visiting units directly to deliver meals, expressing gratitude to what they consider their key future consumer base.
According to industry sources on the 1st, Papa John's is providing free chicken sandwich sets to active-duty soldiers and military occupational specialists until the 5th. Active-duty personnel can present one of the following: a leave pass, an outing pass, an overnight pass, a duty confirmation letter, or a military ID strap. Military occupational specialists must be wearing combat uniforms or dress uniforms and present an official government ID issued by the Ministry of National Defense.
McDonald's Korea went directly to the units. The company delivered 600 portions of "Happiness Burgers" to soldiers from the Army's 39th Infantry Division who participated in flood recovery and civilian support efforts in the Geoje area of South Gyeongsang Province. A promotion offering Big Mac sets at a 50% discount to military personnel and others is also underway until the 12th. Domino's Pizza is also offering a 50% discount on all pizza takeout orders for soldiers, civilian government employees in the military, and their families until the 2nd.
The discounts and donations from the food and beverage industry concentrated around Armed Forces Day serve as an opportunity to introduce brands and signature menus to service members. Since the expansion of private sector participation in military meals began in 2022, with familiar restaurant brands entering barracks, the military has emerged as a new competitive market for food and beverages.
According to the Ministry of National Defense, last year the number of units operated by private catering companies increased to 49, serving approximately 58,000 service members. This accounts for about 15% of the total military meal population, and the industry estimates the market size at approximately 2 trillion won annually. The basic daily meal allowance per soldier rose by 7.7%, from 13,000 won last year to 14,000 won this year, increasing the potential for contracted vendors to incorporate restaurant brands into military meals.
Our Home secured additional contracts for three Air Force unit cafeterias following its contract with the Air Force's 20th Combat Wing, and CJ Freshway expanded its military meal operations this year to include the Army Training Center and the Marine Corps 1st Division. The industry is introducing menus from popular dramas into military meals, developing dessert menus that reflect commemorative days or seasonal themes, and researching special meals for MZ-generation service members.
There have also been cases of restaurant brands entering barracks. Since August, Shinsegae Food has been providing No Brand Burgers as part of the military meal program at the Army 35th Division Recruit Training Battalion in Imsil, Jeonbuk Province, in partnership with Pulmuone Food & Culture. This marks the first instance of a major franchise burger brand operating in the form of a regular military meal rather than a one-time special or finished product delivery. The program serves up to 250 meals per day, and during the first three weeks of operation, prepared quantities were sold out every day.
It is also significant that military service members represent a key consumer demographic for both the present and the future. As of July last year, the military force numbered approximately 450,000, representing a large-scale consumer base of men in their 20s. Salaries have more than doubled, rising from 676,000 won per month for sergeants first class in 2022 to 1.5 million won last year. The Nara Sarang Card used by service members offers discounts and cashback benefits at major restaurant brands such as Outback Steakhouse, Starbucks, McDonald's, and Burger King.
An industry official said, "Military service members are important members of our society and also future customers who will become a key consumer demographic." The official added, "From the perspective of social contribution, companies are continuously expanding related activities to support service members while providing them with natural opportunities to experience their brands."
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