As the government said it will revamp the way highway rest areas are run, convenience store "1+1" promotions, telecom discounts offered by each franchise, and the entry of low-priced coffee brands are expected to become available at rest areas. Some consumers have complained that discounts widely available at regular stores have not applied at rest areas.
According to the government and related industries on the 21st, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced an "overhaul plan for highway rest area operations" on the 9th, saying it would allow convenience store 1+1 promotions and telecom point accrual and use, and would revise the system to permit low-priced coffee brands to open.
The crux of the plan is to eliminate intermediary operating fees that currently average 33% of sales (as high as 51%) and cut tenant rent to about 8%–9% of sales. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) plans to pilot the change at eight rest areas nationwide where new openings or contract expirations occur within the year, then expand it in stages. Rest areas now operate under a kind of multilevel structure of "Korea Expressway Corporation (KEC)–intermediary operator–tenant." The intermediary operator pays rent through an operating-right lease with KEC and collects fees from tenants via store tenancy contracts. To fix this, MOLIT plans to create a specialized public management company and shift to a system in which it contracts directly with tenants.
At rest areas, many cases have seen 1+1 promotions, mobile coupons, and telecom discounts not apply, not only at convenience stores like CU, GS25, and 7-Eleven, but also at franchises' regular outlets such as Dunkin, Pascucci, and No Brand Burger.
Industry officials cite high entry costs as the biggest reason. A franchise official said, "Stores that open in rest areas face very high entry fees—typically more than double those of regular stores," adding, "That's why most rest area locations are smaller and often run with limited menus." The person added, "Rest area stores must be operated off-site, and hours are effectively fixed, so staffing is always an issue."
For convenience stores, the structure in which the rest area operating corporation acts as the franchisee also has an impact. A convenience store industry official said, "At many rest areas, the rest area corporation is the franchisee," adding, "In some cases, they ask to exclude discount promotions for profitability."
Another convenience store industry official said, "The way stores are run is different from ordinary commercial districts," adding, "If we run 1+1 promotions, we must secure more inventory, and labor burdens such as product displays also grow," and said, "In the end, declining profitability is the biggest reason."
Industry players also say the nature of the rest area market itself played a role. Unlike ordinary commercial districts where multiple brands compete, rest areas are places people stop briefly while traveling, so the need to attract customers through price competition is relatively low.
In practice, drivers have limited options in choosing rest areas and spend little time there, so they tend to prioritize accessibility and convenience over price. As a result, there has been little incentive to engage in discount battles like in regular commercial districts. A restaurant industry official said, "Rest area stores often operate within the rest area's overall system rather than competing brand to brand," adding, "Instead of aggressively applying headquarters promotions, we focus on aligning profitability and operational efficiency through discussions with the rest area operator."
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) plans to increase benefits for tenants and consumers through this overhaul. Replacing the existing "expressway corporation–operator–tenant" method, a public management company will contract directly with tenants to cut intermediary fees, while expanding not only discount promotions and membership benefits but also 24-hour convenience store operations and the entry of low-priced coffee brands.
The revamped system will first apply within the year at eight rest areas nationwide that are newly established or where contracts expire. After launching the public management company early next year, the plan is to expand to about 100 sites by the end of next year. The shift to direct contracts for roughly 200 rest areas overall is expected to be largely completed around 2030 as contracts expire in sequence.