Lotteria's first U.S. branch salutes YouTuber Army Ahn and fellow soldiers with a shortcut

On the sunbaked streets of Fullerton, California, the line outside Lotteria’s first U.S. branch stretched down the block, but a group of soldiers found that sometimes service comes with a salute — and a shortcut.

The manager, right, and staff of Lotteria's first U.S. branch in Fullerton, California, greet soldiers waiting in line to enter the shop on Aug. 14, as pictured in screen captures of a video uploaded by YouTuber Army Ahn on Aug. 16. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

On the sunbaked streets of Fullerton, California, the line outside Lotteria’s first U.S. branch stretched down the block, but a group of soldiers found that sometimes service comes with a salute — and a shortcut.

Korean American YouTuber Army Ahn, who serves in the U.S. military and has 270,000 subscribers, uploaded a video on Saturday showing his visit with fellow soldiers to the newly opened burger shop.

The group arrived on opening day to find a long line of customers waiting to get inside.

“We tried to avoid the lunch rush, but the line was still so long,” the YouTuber said in the video. A customer already in line told him they had been waiting for an hour, he said.

That’s when an employee approached the soldiers and explained that the manager wanted to give them "special treatment," asking, "What would you like to order today?"

The manager then greeted the group with a handshake and guided them into the restaurant. Employees even held the door for them, letting the soldiers bypass the line entirely.

A U.S. soldier eats Lotteria's Shrimp Burger at the Korean burger chain's branch in Fullerton, California, on Aug. 14 in this video uploaded by YouTuber Army Ahn on Aug. 16. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Army Ahn and the other soldiers ordered bulgogi and shrimp burgers.

After tasting the burgers, the YouTuber noted that the flavor was "slightly different" but almost identical to what he remembered from Lotteria in Korea. His colleagues, who either tried certain menus or the chain for the first time, also praised the food.

The video drew more than 1.3 million views within two days. Online commenters applauded the branch's nice gesture, calling it a reflection of U.S. culture that respects soldiers and veterans. Some also wondered whether Korea might adopt similar attitudes toward its own soldiers.

Burger chain Lotteria opened its first U.S. branch in Fullerton, California, on Aug. 14, its operator, Lotte GRS, said on Aug. 18. [LOTTE GRS]

Lotteria, operated by Lotte GRS, opened its first U.S. store in Fullerton on Thursday. The city is home to many Korean and Asian residents. Ahead of the official launch, the chain conducted trial operations from Aug. 11 to Wednesday, during which about 500 people visited daily, according to the company.

The new store features signage in both English and Korean with the phrase “Original K-Burger.” Its menu includes five burgers — the Bulgogi Burger, Shrimp Burger, Bibim Rice Burger, Bulgogi Deluxe Burger and Bulgogi & Shrimp Burger — along with a K-BBQ rice bowl.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY JANG GU-SEUL [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]