The Korean burger brand Lotteria's first store in the U.S. in Fullerton, Los Angeles, is generating buzz. Shortly after opening, scenes of U.S. soldiers receiving special treatment circulated, sparking significant online interest.
On the 18th, a short video shared by YouTuber Armian (channel name 'Army and Korean-Americans') circulated on online communities and social media. With 270,000 subscribers, he posted footage of himself visiting the store with fellow servicemen on the 16th.
Armian noted, "I tried to avoid lunchtime, but the line was endless," and he relayed that upon asking a guest waiting in front, they had already been waiting for an hour.
At that moment, a local employee approached and said, "The manager said to treat you specially," and took their order, allowing the group to enter without waiting in line and enjoy the bulgogi burger and shrimp burger.
He shared his personal assessment, stating, "The taste was slightly different from what I had in Korea, but it was nearly the same," and fellow servicemen also enjoyed the Lotteria burgers satisfactorily.
Internet users reacted by saying, "I'm envious that the treatment of soldiers is taken for granted," and noted, "The U.S. has a strong culture of respecting veterans and active-duty soldiers," adding, "Our society needs to take notes from this."
Earlier, Lotteria opened its first store in the United States in Fullerton on the 14th, and held a 'soft opening' event for three days before the formal opening.
The representative menu at Lotteria in the U.S. includes the bulgogi burger, shrimp burger, and bibimbap rice burger. The bulgogi burger set is priced at $12.77 (about 17,740 won), and the shrimp burger set at $13.27 (about 19,000 won). The 'Firebird Burger,' discontinued in Korea, has also made a comeback as a local menu item.