2025 Korean American Burger Trend Survey
‘For Convenience’ cited as top reason for burgers
‘In-N-Out’ dominates as most popular brand
LOS ANGELES — Six in ten Korean Americans say they eat hamburgers at least once a week, with convenience cited as the main reason, according to the 2025 Korean American Burger Trend Survey conducted by The Korea Daily.
The online survey, conducted on koreadaily.com from October 17 to 27, 2025, gathered responses from 786 participants across the U.S.
🍔 How Often Do Korean Americans Eat Burgers?
According to the results, 56.4% of respondents said they eat burgers 1–2 times per week, while another 5.5% eat them three or more times weekly.
By contrast, 37.9% said they “rarely” eat hamburgers.
When asked why they eat burgers, 67% said it’s because burgers are “convenient,” while 44% said they “simply like burgers.”
Other reasons included affordability (21%) and suitability for eating alone (11%).
🏆 In-N-Out Leads, Followed by The Habit and Burger King
In-N-Out Burger overwhelmingly ranked as the most popular brand, chosen by 86.6% of respondents (multiple responses allowed).
The next favorites were The Habit Burger Grill (34.1%), McDonald’s (32.3%), Chick-fil-A (27.2%), and Burger King (17.4%).
Korean chain Lotteria, which opened its first U.S. store this year in Fullerton, received 9.7% support.
When asked why they prefer certain brands, the top factors were:
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Taste (89.8%)
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Price (44.9%)
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Fresh ingredients (28.1%)
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Accessibility (28.1%)
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Customer service (14.2%)
🍔 Mixed Reviews for Lotteria’s U.S. Debut
Interest in Lotteria’s first U.S. location was strong:
19% said they had already visited, and 55% said they plan to go.
However, among those who visited, opinions were split.
31% said “quality and service need improvement,” while 27% welcomed the brand’s arrival as “a positive sign of Korean culture overseas.”
Several respondents commented that the burgers were “small and expensive” and lacked competitiveness compared to U.S. chains.
🍟 Similar Trends Nationwide
Korean Americans’ burger preferences mirror broader U.S. trends.
A Yelp review analysis earlier this year ranked In-N-Out #1, The Habit #2, and Shake Shack #3 nationwide.
Meanwhile, USA Today named The Habit Burger’s Double Charburger the “Best Burger in America” for 2025, placing In-N-Out close behind at #4.
In Korea, a JoongAng Ilbo survey of 945 people in April found Burger King (32.3%), McDonald’s (21.7%), and Mom’s Touch (16.4%) as the top three brands — results that also emphasize taste and accessibility as key factors.
