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Appetite Grows for Apartment Complexes That Offer Breakfast
The Korea Bizwire ^ | June 8, 2018 | Yonhap

Posted on 06/07/2018 7:17:26 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

SEOUL, Jun. 8 (Korea Bizwire) — Yang Jong-moon’s routine for the past few months has involved dropping by his apartment complex’s community center once or twice a week to pick up breakfast before he heads off to work.

In September, the Banpo Riche apartment building where he lives began to offer breakfast to its residents at the reasonable price of 4,500 won (US$4), although that has recently been adjusted to 5,500 won. The decision to offer the meal reflected demand from students, single-member and double-income households and seniors.

“I prefer a light meal in the morning and think five minutes is plenty for me to have breakfast,” Yang, a 53-year-old CEO of an IT venture in Seoul, told Yonhap News Agency in a recent interview. He claimed the service offered saves him time and even money.

Yang is one of the country’s increasing number of apartment residents who want their breakfast to be prepared by their apartment complex instead of eating at home.

Banpo Riche’s community center partnered with a catering service to provide breakfast to about 25 percent of its 1,119 resident households, largely people in their 30s and 40s, on week days, Kim Taek-kyo, who represents Banpo Riche residents, told Yonhap.

“Apartment builders and neighboring apartment community centers have shown an interest in our breakfast services. Some of them are regularly monitoring our services. We will continue to diversify the menu and offer quality food at good prices,” he pointed out.

In recent years, apartment complexes, mostly ones in the affluent Gangnam area in southern Seoul, have taken the lead in adopting breakfast services to differentiate themselves from rivals.

In May, Banpo Xi apartments began to provide breakfast services after its residents, particularly working moms and retired senior couples, strongly requested such a move.

“Our apartment residents did want similar breakfast services to those offered by Banpo Riche and Seoul Forest Trimage (in northeastern Seoul). All breakfast items are on offer at 5,500 won and residents are happy with the service,” Kim In-sook, chief of the Banpo Xi managing office, said.

Seoul Forest Trimage, an apartment complex with stores on the ground floor, has offered breakfast services since May 2017 from a restaurant operated by the community. Unlike purely residential apartment complexes, mixed commercial and residential buildings like Trimage are allowed to have an eatery with dedicated cooking facilities.

Upcoming apartment complexes such as DH Xi Gaepo, DH Honor Hills and Raemian Blesstige in southern Seoul are planning to offer breakfast to their residents as part of community services from the outset.

Various social changes in the country are reinforcing this demand for apartment buildings that offer breakfast.

By 2045, single-member households will top other forms of household in the country’s 17 big cities and provinces and four out of 10 households will be composed of senior members aged 65 or older, according to data from Statistics Korea.

“I guess single-member and senior couple households want the breakfast service the most. They may not want to spend much on grocery shopping to prepare meals only for themselves as they think it is a waste of money and effort,” an official at Statistics Korea said.

Apartment residents, meanwhile, said there will likely be apartments that offer lunches, dinners and even snacks, in the not too distant future, if such a demand rises.

Grace Oh, a 37-year-old Seoul-based interpreter, said she hopes the apartment complex she is set to live in next year will provide meal services for residents. But the upcoming building in central Seoul does not have such a plan for now.

“We are the so-called dual income, no kids couple. As we go to work early in the morning, we don’t really have time to make breakfast at home. Once we reside in the apartment, we will ask the community center to consider starting a meal service for residents,” she said.

Even if the number of meal-offering apartment buildings goes up, the food on offer will be limited to things that are easy to make and take out. For example, many will likely serve items like sandwiches, scrambled eggs and salads.

In fact, apartment complexes already offer such foods on their menus and it not easy to find traditional Korean food. Traditional Korean fare requires dedicated food processing areas and with associated infrastructure, but these are not permitted by the authorities for various reasons.

The government said it may consider revising the law if there is ample demand in the housing market.

“A revision in the law may allow existing and new apartments to have kitchen areas where a full range of meals can be cooked,” Jeon Sang-eok, who is in charge of housing management law at the transport ministry, said.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Food
KEYWORDS: apartments; breakfast; food; korea
The more I think of the idea, the more I like it.
1 posted on 06/07/2018 7:17:26 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

There are many regulations to meet if you serve food.............


2 posted on 06/07/2018 7:19:04 PM PDT by PeterPrinciple (Thinking Caps are no longer being issued but there must be a warehouse full of them somewhere.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
That is why a bunch of people move into assisted living.

They can go down for meals or cook in their own apartment depending on how they feel.

3 posted on 06/07/2018 7:24:32 PM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear ( Bunnies, bunnies, it must be bunnies!! Or maybe midgets....)
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To: PeterPrinciple

Probably less in Korea then in the US.


4 posted on 06/07/2018 7:25:06 PM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear ( Bunnies, bunnies, it must be bunnies!! Or maybe midgets....)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
p07

"I'll take my puppy mcmuffin to go please."

5 posted on 06/07/2018 7:32:25 PM PDT by Snickering Hound
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To: Snickering Hound

6 posted on 06/07/2018 7:33:53 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (You cannot invade the mainland US. There'd be a rifle behind every blade of grass.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I could see that taking off here.

Especially for someone who is not a morning person and has trouble pulling themselves together until they can think coherently.


7 posted on 06/07/2018 9:09:28 PM PDT by metmom ( ...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith......)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I could see it catching on here.


8 posted on 06/07/2018 9:15:28 PM PDT by Hugin (Conservatism without Nationalism is a fraud.)
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To: PeterPrinciple

That was my first thought to with regard to health regulations. Although perhaps because it is catered that is different. The food is prepared off-site, and just served at the apartment.

Combine this with the 20-something gal that will hop in your bed and warm it up for you and talk/listen as you sit in the chair - it’s a winner!


9 posted on 06/07/2018 9:27:41 PM PDT by 21twelve
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To: Snickering Hound
Puppy McMuffin? That, is clearly a hot dog!
I'm just relieved there is no Catsup on it.
10 posted on 06/08/2018 12:55:09 AM PDT by outofsalt (If history teaches us anything it's that history rarely teaches us anything.)
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To: Hugin

Yes indeed, another liberal democrat Bennie for the section 8 plantation.


11 posted on 06/08/2018 4:32:31 AM PDT by BTCM (Death and destruction is the only treaty Muslims comprehend.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

It’s funny, they have those places all over. Their called restaurants. What a novel idea.


12 posted on 06/08/2018 10:22:19 PM PDT by FlyFisher
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I heard they serve Breakfast Anytime.

So can I get French Toast during The Renaissance?

(Apologies to Steven Wright)


13 posted on 06/08/2018 10:37:01 PM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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