Last Updated on 2020-03-03 , 6:38 pm
Hey, you! I know youโre probably looking through the Goody Feed app when youโre supposed to be working or studying instead. Donโt worry, weโve all done that.
So while youโre still here, why not go on a journey with me?
Advertisements
Letโs go to North Korea, the country of openly anti-US imperialist sentiment (at least what it used to be).
Weโll head to the Kumsong Intersection in Pyongyang, where youโll see a green-tiled establishment with the Korean words Samtaesong, or Three Big Stars, on it.
When you walk in, things start to get a little uncanny. Thereโs a counter with a brightly lit menu display board, in front of which a smiling person waits to serve you in a clean uniform. On the menu, there are pictures of waffles, fried chicken, fries, hotdogs and hamburgers. Customers can also choose from a selection of soft drinks.
To the left: North Koreans sitting opposite each other in booths, enjoying their food.
โAre you sure weโre still in North Korea? Not South Korea?โ
Yes.
If you havenโt figured it out yet, Iโm talking about a fast-food restaurantโฆ in North Korea.
Despite its Korean name, Samtaesong is a Waffletown USA fast food franchise.
Advertisements
And hereโs something even more shocking: It is North Koreaโs very first fast food chain and was opened by 3 Singaporeans.
Yes, SINGAPOREANS.
Here are 10 facts about Waffletown USA in North Korea.
Its founder was a steel and minerals trader
Mr Quek Cher Lan, a steel and minerals trader who owns the company Aetna Group, started doing business with the North Koreans over 30 years ago.
Eventually, they asked Quek to invest in their country. Quek agreed and got Mr Timothy, whom he met in Shanghai, involved.
Advertisements
After exploring a few different options, including a supermarket, they eventually decided on a fast-food chain, given that they would face virtually zero competition.
As they had no experience in the fast-food industry, the duo roped Mr Patrick Soh in.
It opened in 2009
By April 2009, and after US$200,000 worth of investments, Samtaesong had opened its first branch in Pyongyang. They had to use a Korean name as English signage wasnโt allowed in North Korea at that time.
Now, remember: in 2009, Trump and Kim werenโt โin loveโ yet.
Itโs doing really well
Waffletown in North Korea now has five large dine-in eateries, over 20 takeaway outlets and an entire food processing plant across the city of Pyongyang, which has a population of over 3 million people. Soh describes the business as โhealthyโ.
Advertisements
Its biggest outlet is in a three-storey building. The production facility is in the basement, restaurant in the first floor and administrative office in the third.
When asked why he thought the restaurant was doing so well, Soh suggested that it could be due to the cold weather. During Pyongyangโs cold winters, locals enjoy the chainโs fried chicken, which is served piping hot.
Itโs designed to look like Singaporeโs fast-food restaurants
The restaurantโs initial design was modelled after Singaporeโs own fast food joints with furniture specially imported from China to achieve its desired layout.
Hmmโฆa piece of Singapore in North Korea, anyone?
Join our telegram channel for more entertaining and informative articles at https://t.me/goodyfeedsg or download the Goody Feed app here: https://goodyfeed.com/app/
It signifies pretty huge progress
For several decades, North Korea banned fast food, labelling it as an evil Western influence.
These 3 Singaporeans therefore made history by opening the countryโs first fast food chain.
Advertisements
Well done!
But of course, in 2018, Singapore made history again but anyways.
Their menu is a littleโฆstrange
You canโt order a hamburger there.
Instead, you can order โminced beef with breadโ, which looks like this:
(I donโt know about you, but that kinda looks like a hamburger to meโฆ It could be just me, though.)
Advertisements
They donโt use the word โhamburgerโ as they try to hide their American origins.
Because the government still doesnโt like fast food, their burgers have more vegetables than usual.
Also, its coleslaw has been switched for a more traditional kimchi.
Beyond that, the menu resembles a typical Western fast food menu, with fried chicken, waffles, hotdogs and soft drinks.
Their food is pretty cheap, or expensive, depending on your nationality
Minced beef and bread costs about S$2, about the same price as a hamburger in Singapore. However, remember: the average annual wage in North Korea last year was just under S$1,200, making minced beef and bread almost half the daily income of an average North Korean.
Waffletown USA began as a homegrown American family restaurant
After opening its first outlet in 2719 East College Avenue in Avondale Estates, Georgia, Waffletown USA now has 2,100 outlets in 25 states in the United States.
So yes, itโs not created by Singaporeans.
You can enjoy Waffletown USA in Singapore
For those of you who were beginning to suffer from FOMO, fret not. Singapore has Waffletown USA, too.
Advertisements
There are two Waffletown USA branches in Singapore, one in Balmoral Plaza and another in Ngee Ann Poly.
In fact, before the restaurant managed to open outlets in Pyongyang, four North Korean delegates were actually sent to the branch in Balmoral Plaza to sample the food.
You can save money on dessert on weekdays
From 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekdays, you can get a single scoop ice cream and waffle for only $2.90 when it is purchased together with any set meal.
I donโt know why Iโm writing about a deal here in Singapore when itโs about the fast-food chain in North Korean, but hey: everyone in Earth loves a good deal, right?
These five GRCs could see the tightest battle in GE2025; hereโs why:
Read Also:
- Singapore Police Warn Lady Gaga Fans After Scalpers List VIP Tickets for S$38,888
- The Cathay to Reopen in April after 2-Year Renovation
- Food Delivery Rider Fined S$5,000 for Smashing Car Mirror after Near-Collision in Serangoon
- Progress Singapore Party Elects New Central Executive Committee with Six Fresh Faces
- Father-Son Relationship Shattered over $400,000 HDB Flat Ownership Dispute in Yishun
- Two Men Arrested, Eight Others Under Investigation For SIM Card Fraud