Pulmuone Food & Culture, the food service arm of Pulmuone, is seeing steep growth in both its contract catering and concession businesses. The company plans to focus on expanding its portfolio by broadening its reach into overseas markets as well as the dining business.
Pulmuone Food & Culture said on the 23rd that sales in its contract catering and concession businesses rose 8.5% and 21.8%, respectively, in the first half of this year compared with the same period a year earlier.
The gains were largely driven by 39 new business contracts won in the first half alone. The contract catering business secured 34 additional new sites, providing an average of 265,000 meals per day. Notably, it won the Kakao Pangyo Agit site, strengthening its competitiveness in the catering market for IT companies in the Pangyo area. It also won the Raemian Blestige contract, marking its first entry into the premium breakfast apartment service market in the Gangnam area. With a new contract at the Army Infantry School, the number of its military catering sites expanded to 14 nationwide across the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.
Pulmuone Food & Culture is also pursuing brand collaborations and menu upgrades. It is presenting monthly collaboration menus in partnership with various brands, including the "Gontran Cherrier" bakery, and is building a sustainable catering model by securing a pool of menus applicable on-site through the "Sustainable Dietary Life Menu Competition" it held last year.
The concession business achieved sales growth as recovering overseas travel demand converged with increased leisure and recreational activities. Demand for airport lounge use rose sharply, with visitors to the SkyHub Lounge at Incheon International Airport increasing 47.9% from a year earlier, driving concession business sales growth. Sales are expected to grow further, as the company newly won food and beverage operations at multiple golf courses, including Seoul Hanyang CC, and a newly secured lounge at Gimpo Airport is set to open this September.
Pulmuone (017810) Food & Culture is also moving to tap into overseas markets. In the second half of this year, it plans to expand business opportunities to local universities and international schools, starting with Korean company sites in North America. In addition, this September it plans to launch a new dining brand in Korea specializing in kalguksu noodle dishes, strengthening its dining business competitiveness.
"By expanding the capabilities we have accumulated based on contract catering into various areas such as military catering, airports, concessions, rest areas, and dining, we are providing differentiated value tailored to customers' lifestyles," said Lee Dong-hoon, CEO of Pulmuone Food & Culture.
