[Edaily Starin YUN GI BACK Reporter] The era has arrived where moviegoers are choosing rice cakes and hot dogs over popcorn at the theater. The competition among theater concession stands—which used to focus on adding trendy flavors to popcorn—has now expanded to bringing in ready-to-eat dishes from local eateries.

Lotte Cinema is offering limited-time sales of regional specialty snacks from Busan, Jeonju, and Yangpyeong at select locations. The menu features three items: “Pizza Seolgi” from Yeongdo Bridge Rice Cake Shop in Busan, “Persimmon Glutinous Rice Cake” from Hongsi Palace in Jeonju, and “Yeon Hot Dog” from Dumulmeori in Yangpyeong.
Pizza Seolgi combines the sweetness of white rice cake with the savory flavors of pizza toppings and cheese. Hongsi Glutinous Rice Cake is a dessert featuring a chewy rice cake filled with natural persimmon cream. Lotus Leaf Hot Dog features a thick sausage wrapped in dough infused with the aroma of lotus leaves, offering a meal-like sense of fullness rather than just a snack.
Pizza Seolgi is available at the Konkuk University Entrance, Nowon, Cheongnyangni, and Wonju Musil locations. Hongsi Glutinous Rice Cake and Lotus Leaf Hot Dog can be found at these four locations plus the Eunpyeong, Yongsan, Dogok, and Seongnam Jungang locations—for a total of eight locations. These items will be available until supplies run out.
A key feature of this initiative is that it doesn’t reinterpret the flavors of regional specialties as popcorn but instead brings the original foods as they are. Lotte Cinema has previously introduced Dubai chewy cookies, Shanghai butter rice cakes, and Yeol-Ramen popcorn. This marks an expansion of its menu range from online-trending desserts and food brand collaborations to regional specialty dishes.
Other multiplexes are also continuing to experiment with food offerings. CGV has introduced kimchi-flavored and seaweed-flavored popcorn, as well as chili tuna-flavored popcorn and hot dogs, while Megabox attracted attention by launching “MegaBobs,” a theater meal kit featuring tteokbokki, pasta, and mini hamburger patties, following its “Bogeumjari” strawberry popcorn.

However, for the popularity of local specialty foods to translate into success inside the theater, certain conditions must be met. Whether the food is easy to eat with one hand in a darkened auditorium, whether the smell and sound of the packaging disturb the viewing experience, and whether the price and portion size are appropriate all determine whether customers will buy it again. There is also a significant difference between snacks like popcorn—which you nibble on throughout the movie—and foods like rice cakes and hot dogs, which are eaten in a short amount of time.
Nevertheless, it’s clear that the range of options has expanded. For moviegoers looking to satisfy their hunger before the film starts or seeking a new snack instead of the usual popcorn, theater concession stands are becoming mini-curated food shops. It remains to be seen whether the convenience of being able to taste local specialties without having to travel all the way to Busan, Jeonju, or Yangpyeong will become another reason to draw audiences back to theaters.