The cafeteria inside an office building in Seoul bustles with office workers during lunchtime on June 22, 2023. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, June 23 (Korea Bizwire) — With the cost of eating out continuing to rise rapidly, an increasing number of office workers are turning to company cafeterias to minimize expenses.
Company cafeterias are attracting office workers due to their affordable prices and daily-changing menus.
“I can purchase a salad for 3,000 won (US$2.31) at the company cafeteria,” said a 26-year-old office worker surnamed Shin who works in Gangnam District in Seoul.
“The salad comprises different vegetables and ingredients every day, and the quality is also excellent.”
Since the pandemic, the number of company cafeterias that have closed down or restricted access to non-employees has increased, leading to a rise in office workers utilizing government building cafeterias.
For example, meals at the cafeterias in tax offices are available to outsiders for 5,500 won, which is significantly cheaper than typical restaurants.
According to the Korea Consumer Agency, among the eight popular dining-out menu options in Seoul priced at 10,000 won or below, only four were available as of last month, including “gimbap,” a popular Korean dish made from steamed rice and various other ingredients rolled in sheets of dried seaweed.
The dining-out price index increased by 0.2 percent from the previous month, reaching 117.43 last month. The index has been steadily rising for 30 consecutive months since December 2020.
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)
