Ashley Queens to open 'Grand' store in Jamsil

Eland Eats, the operator of the Ashley Queens buffet chain, is accelerating its rollout of large-format "Grand" stores. Buoyed by strong results at its first Grand location, the company has decided to convert the Jamsil Lotte Castle store — one of its top-performing outlets — to the Grand format.

According to industry sources, Eland Eats is working to reopen the Ashley Queens Jamsil Lotte Castle store as a Grand location in November. The store, situated in Lotte Castle Plaza near Jamsil Station in Songpa-gu, Seoul, suspended operations in August to undergo the renovation.

Grand stores are larger versions of the standard Ashley Queens format, offering expanded space, a broader menu and enhanced customer experience elements. Eland Eats launched the first Grand store — the Grand NC Songpa location — in July, enlarging what had been a roughly 660-square-meter store to about 1,122 square meters, an increase of around 70 percent.

The menu was also expanded by up to 30 percent compared with the minimum lineup at smaller stores. A total of 13 corners were newly created or upgraded, including a live grill, live noodle station, open sandwich bar and dessert section. In the 30 days following the renovation, sales at the Grand NC Songpa store rose 153 percent from the same period last year, according to Eland Eats.

The Jamsil Lotte Castle store, chosen as the second Grand location, was already among the chain's highest-performing outlets. In the first half of last year alone, it drew about 200,000 visitors — the most of any Ashley Queens store nationwide. The first Grand store, NC Songpa, was also a top seller before its renovation, suggesting the company's strategy is to scale up space and content at already proven, high-demand locations.

The existing store's generous floor space and the area's diverse customer base also factored into the decision. The Jamsil commercial district draws a wide mix of visitors — local residents, office workers, tourists heading to Lotte World and Lotte World Tower, and families.

"The Jamsil Lotte Castle store already operates with ample space, making it well suited for a renovation, and it serves a broad range of customers," an Eland Eats official said. "We are selecting Grand store locations based on available space and a mixed customer base that includes residents, office workers and tourists."

After the renovation, much of the hands-on content introduced at the first Grand store is expected to carry over. The company is also discussing ways to strengthen the dessert lineup, one of Ashley Queens' signature draws, alongside DIY-style corners such as the open sandwich bar and live noodle station, where customers choose their own ingredients and toppings.

"We are still in the discussion phase, but DIY corners and dessert corners that emphasize the experiential element are expected to be maintained or enhanced," an Eland Eats official said. Given the high proportion of tourists and young families at the Jamsil location, the company plans to preserve and build on the Grand store's key features. No additional Grand locations beyond Jamsil have been confirmed.

The Jamsil district has seen a wave of new family restaurant openings targeting office workers, families and tourists. Hyundai Green Food opened the flagship Jamsil location of Texas Roadhouse in Bangyi-dong, Songpa-gu, in April, and Ourhome is set to launch the second outlet of its buffet brand "Take" at Lotte World Adventure next month. CJ Foodville's VIPS is also preparing to open a new store in November at the same Lotte Castle Plaza complex as the Ashley Queens Jamsil Lotte Castle store.