"Watching the World Cup at Work, Grabbing Lunch in the Office"... Hamburger Franchises Enjoy Unexpected Boom

Sales Surge on National Team Match Days
Takeout and Delivery Orders Outpace Dine-In
World Cup and 'Lunchflation' Drive Demand

During the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup, sales at hamburger franchises surged significantly on the days when the South Korea national football team played. Contrary to the initial outlook that the food service industry would see little benefit due to the majority of matches being scheduled in the morning, consumers flocked to easily accessible options like hamburgers, which could be conveniently enjoyed via delivery or takeout while watching the World Cup games.

During the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup, the sales of a hamburger franchise surged significantly on the days when the South Korea national football team played. Getty Images

According to the food service industry on June 25, Mom's Touch, a hamburger franchise, saw average sales between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. at its 14 directly operated stores located in key business districts such as Gwanghwamun, Myeong-dong, Seolleung, and Hongdae increase by 160% on June 12 and 19—the days when the national team played—compared to the previous week. While in-store sales during these hours decreased by 20%, delivery and takeout orders jumped by up to 82%.

Burger King also recorded a sales increase of approximately 36% on the days when the national team played, compared to the previous week. As with Mom's Touch, the proportion of delivery and takeout customers at Burger King exceeded that of dine-in customers. Lotteria saw its sales rise by about 40% on June 12 and 60% on June 19, when the national team played; the spike on June 19 is largely attributed to the launch of the 'Hawaiian Mozzarella Burger', created in collaboration with Chef Lee Chanyang, which was introduced on June 18.

No Brand Burger, operated by Shinsegae Food, saw average same-day sales at stores in major office districts such as Express Bus Terminal, Yeoksam, and Euljiro 4-ga increase by 53% compared to normal days. In particular, at the Starfield COEX location, which hosted a group cheering event, sales surged by 67%. Notably, No Brand Burger's new menu items, 'Avocado Taco' and 'Smoked Barbecue', launched with a North and Central America concept on June 12, surpassed 100,000 cumulative sales within two weeks, and sales on national team match days were 35% higher than usual.

KFC also enjoyed a World Cup boost. On June 12, average morning sales per store rose by 190%, and on June 19, by 203%. McDonald's Korea, the official sponsor of the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup, declined to disclose its sales growth. A McDonald's representative stated, "Due to the various factors that affect sales fluctuations, we are cautious about releasing exact figures."

The World Cup-driven boom in the hamburger industry is being attributed to the appeal of being able to enjoy a quick lunch while watching the games, as well as the impact of 'lunchflation'—the recent rise in lunch prices for office workers—which has positioned hamburgers as a practical meal substitute. With typical restaurant meal prices easily exceeding 10,000 won, hamburgers, with set menus priced between 5,000 and 8,000 won, have gained popularity among office workers and students as an attractive lunch option, and the special circumstances of the World Cup have further fueled the sales surge.

Major food service companies operating leading hamburger brands each posted strong results last year. Lotte GRS, which operates Lotteria, recorded sales of 1.1189 trillion won and operating profit of 51 billion won last year, representing a 12.4% and 30.6% increase, respectively, over the previous year. It was the first time in eight years since 2017 that its sales exceeded 1 trillion won. BKR, the operator of Burger King, also achieved its highest-ever sales, with 892.2 billion won in revenue and 42.8 billion won in operating profit, up 12.6% and 11.7%, respectively.

KFC Korea and Mom's Touch & Company also posted record results. KFC recorded sales of 377.9 billion won last year, a 29% increase, and operating profit of 24.7 billion won, a 50% increase. Mom's Touch saw sales rise by 14.6% to 479 billion won and operating profit increase by 20% to 89.7 billion won. McDonald's Korea posted sales of 1.431 trillion won last year, up 14.5% from the previous year. Including franchise stores, total sales reached 1.564 trillion won, with operating profit of 73.2 billion won and net profit of 67.7 billion won.

An industry official said, "It can't be said that we directly benefited from the World Cup, but it is true that sales increased due to multiple factors," adding, "Hamburgers have firmly established themselves as a practical meal substitute, and with the World Cup coinciding, it appears that people enjoyed both watching the games and having their meals at the same time."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.