Lotteria in South Korea is ‘living in 2050’ (Picture: TikTok/Lauren Wolfe)
McDonald’s in the UK is a sacred place.
We’d bet it’s only here where fans cheer with joy when the order number ’69’ is read out, and where one burger can elicit memories of times gone by.
So it’s hard to believe, that in some places, the golden arches aren’t quite such a big deal. In fact, there are 123 countries that don’t have Maccies at all.
And in South Korea, while McDonald’s does exist, it’s not quite as popular as Lotteria, the biggest fast-food chain in the country.
Dubbed the McDonald’s of Korea, Lotteria first opened in Tokyo in September 1972, two years before McDonald’s hit the UK market – but its new restaurants are anything but dated.
@laurenwolfe
sometimes it’s nice to have no human interaction #seoul #korea
♬ Futuristic cyberpunk world(1423467) – Chau
TikToker Lauren Wolfe shared a peek inside the Asian fast-food chain in Seoul, claiming it’s ‘living in 2050’.
Inside Lotteria
The restaurant Lauren visited is known as Lotteria L7 – the first unmanned ‘smart-store’ in the restaurant chain, based in Hongdae, a suburb of Seoul, popular with a young, hipster crowd.
While not every Lotteria isn’t quite so high-tech, this particular branch is pretty impressive.
Slipping through the sleek automatic glass door and down a red corridor, Lauren heads to the self serve screens. The machine spits out a receipt with the order number on. So far, so familiar.
No humans work here… (Picture: Tripadvisor)
But this is where it gets interesting. When the screen tells her to pick up her order and a loud ‘ding-dong’ sounds, Lauren scans her receipt bar code, which sends her to a box in the wall.
She knocks on her numbered box and it opens, revealing all her food neatly prepared on a tray.
You knock on the boxes, and pick up your order (Picture: Tripadvisor)
There’s also vending machines that will dispense a sauce of your choosing and a self-serve drinks station. And there’s a contactless machine which sterilises your hands after eating.
The whole process involves zero human interaction which the TikToker says she enjoys – and viewers were loving in the comments.
‘This is the spy kids microwave,’ wrote @Giselle, while @llexibb100 wrote: ‘Immediately thought of spy kids when the food came, anyone else?’
Others branded it an ‘introvert McDonald’s’, but many liked the modern tech in store.
‘This is honestly so cool and advanced. But also, it’s a robotic way of living… pros and cons to it. However still very cool and neat,’ wrote @itssjadee99.
Take a glimpse into the future (Picture: Tripadvisor)
Oh so sleek (Picture: Tripadvisor)
Lotteria menu offerings
While Lotteria L7 might be more high-tech than it’s other branches, all Lotterias have a similar menu – andMcRib fans will want to take out. While McDonald’s recently made headlines with the return of the beloved burger, …read more
Source:: Metro
