{
  "slug": "korea-taiwan-restaurants-hotels",
  "question": "How many restaurants and hotels are there in South Korea and Taiwan, how much do they sell, how digital are they and what do their staff earn?",
  "title": "South Korea and Taiwan Restaurant and Hotel Market 2026: Outlets, Revenue, Delivery, Kiosks and Staff Wages",
  "answer": {
    "headline": "South Korea has 789K restaurants, cafés and bars with KRW 198,881B in sales (2024); the share of them selling via delivery fell from 37.3% in 2021 to 32.3%, while the share with a payment kiosk rose from 5.5% to 10.1%, and online food ordering reached KRW 41.6T in 2025. In Taiwan, 50,631 food and beverage businesses reported TWD 710.1B in sales in 2025, and a restaurant cook earns TWD 41,030 a month.",
    "sample": "Statistics Korea (MODS) Service Industry Survey 2021–2024 and Online Shopping Trends to August 2026; Ministry of Science and ICT Digital Industry Survey 2025; Taiwan Fiscal Information Agency business-tax statistics 2019–2025; Taiwan Ministry of Labor Occupational Wage Survey, July 2025",
    "verifiedAsOf": "2026-10-23"
  },
  "sections": [
    {
      "id": "korea-restaurants",
      "title": "South Korea: restaurants, cafés and bars — size and revenue (KSIC 56)",
      "note": "Establishments, not companies. People engaged include owners and unpaid family workers. Revenue is nominal; 2024 figures are provisional. The number of outlets is shrinking while revenue per outlet grows.",
      "rows": [
        {
          "label": "Restaurants, cafés and bars — businesses",
          "value": "801K",
          "segment": "KSIC 56 establishments",
          "period": "2021",
          "source": "Statistics Korea (MODS), Service Industry Survey",
          "url": "https://mods.go.kr/boardDownload.es?bid=240&list_no=428529&seq=1",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Restaurants, cafés and bars — businesses",
          "value": "789K",
          "segment": "KSIC 56 establishments · down three years running",
          "period": "2024",
          "source": "Statistics Korea (MODS), Service Industry Survey",
          "url": "https://mods.go.kr/boardDownload.es?bid=240&list_no=442483&seq=3",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Restaurants, cafés and bars — people engaged",
          "value": "2.05M",
          "segment": "incl. owners and unpaid family workers",
          "period": "2024",
          "source": "Statistics Korea (MODS), Service Industry Survey",
          "url": "https://mods.go.kr/boardDownload.es?bid=240&list_no=442483&seq=3",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Restaurants, cafés and bars — sales revenue",
          "value": "KRW 150,763B",
          "segment": "nominal",
          "period": "2021",
          "source": "Statistics Korea (MODS), Service Industry Survey",
          "url": "https://mods.go.kr/boardDownload.es?bid=240&list_no=428529&seq=1",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Restaurants, cafés and bars — sales revenue",
          "value": "KRW 198,881B",
          "segment": "nominal · provisional",
          "period": "2024",
          "source": "Statistics Korea (MODS), Service Industry Survey",
          "url": "https://mods.go.kr/boardDownload.es?bid=240&list_no=442483&seq=3",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Revenue per business",
          "value": "KRW 188M",
          "segment": "average across KSIC 56",
          "period": "2021",
          "source": "Statistics Korea (MODS), Service Industry Survey",
          "url": "https://mods.go.kr/boardDownload.es?bid=240&list_no=428529&seq=1",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Revenue per business",
          "value": "KRW 252M",
          "segment": "average across KSIC 56",
          "period": "2024",
          "source": "Statistics Korea (MODS), Service Industry Survey",
          "url": "https://mods.go.kr/boardDownload.es?bid=240&list_no=442483&seq=3",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Revenue per person engaged",
          "value": "KRW 97M",
          "segment": "average across KSIC 56",
          "period": "2024",
          "source": "Statistics Korea (MODS), Service Industry Survey",
          "url": "https://mods.go.kr/boardDownload.es?bid=240&list_no=442483&seq=3",
          "tier": 1
        }
      ],
      "chart": "bars"
    },
    {
      "id": "korea-restaurant-channels",
      "title": "South Korea: how restaurants sell — delivery, platforms, kiosks, robots",
      "note": "Shares of all KSIC 56 establishments, except the two Digital Industry Survey rows, which use a different base (accommodation and food businesses that use digital platforms) and a broader definition (kiosk ordering, not only payment). Do not compare the two kiosk numbers directly.",
      "rows": [
        {
          "label": "Restaurants selling via delivery",
          "value": "37.3%",
          "segment": "share of KSIC 56 establishments",
          "period": "2021",
          "source": "Statistics Korea (MODS), Service Industry Survey",
          "url": "https://mods.go.kr/boardDownload.es?bid=240&list_no=428529&seq=1",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Restaurants selling via delivery",
          "value": "35.6%",
          "segment": "share of KSIC 56 establishments",
          "period": "2022",
          "source": "Statistics Korea (MODS), Service Industry Survey",
          "url": "https://mods.go.kr/boardDownload.es?bid=240&list_no=428529&seq=1",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Restaurants selling via delivery",
          "value": "33.2%",
          "segment": "share of KSIC 56 establishments",
          "period": "2023",
          "source": "Statistics Korea (MODS), Service Industry Survey",
          "url": "https://mods.go.kr/boardDownload.es?bid=240&list_no=442483&seq=3",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Restaurants selling via delivery",
          "value": "32.3%",
          "segment": "share of KSIC 56 establishments · third year of decline",
          "period": "2024",
          "source": "Statistics Korea (MODS), Service Industry Survey",
          "url": "https://mods.go.kr/boardDownload.es?bid=240&list_no=442483&seq=3",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Restaurants transacting via digital platforms",
          "value": "21.7%",
          "segment": "share of KSIC 56 establishments · 20.7% in 2021",
          "period": "2024",
          "source": "Statistics Korea (MODS), Service Industry Survey",
          "url": "https://mods.go.kr/boardDownload.es?bid=240&list_no=442483&seq=3",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Restaurants with a self-service payment kiosk",
          "value": "5.5%",
          "segment": "share of KSIC 56 establishments",
          "period": "2021",
          "source": "Statistics Korea (MODS), Service Industry Survey",
          "url": "https://mods.go.kr/boardDownload.es?bid=240&list_no=428529&seq=1",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Restaurants with a self-service payment kiosk",
          "value": "10.1%",
          "segment": "share of KSIC 56 establishments",
          "period": "2024",
          "source": "Statistics Korea (MODS), Service Industry Survey",
          "url": "https://mods.go.kr/boardDownload.es?bid=240&list_no=442483&seq=3",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Hotels and restaurants using kiosk ordering",
          "value": "28.9%",
          "segment": "different survey: accommodation and food businesses using digital platforms",
          "period": "2024",
          "source": "Ministry of Science and ICT, Digital Industry Survey (via KDI)",
          "url": "https://eiec.kdi.re.kr/policy/materialView.do?num=283973",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Hotels and restaurants using serving or reception robots",
          "value": "0.4%",
          "segment": "same survey and base as the row above",
          "period": "2024",
          "source": "Ministry of Science and ICT, Digital Industry Survey (via KDI)",
          "url": "https://eiec.kdi.re.kr/policy/materialView.do?num=283973",
          "tier": 1
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "korea-online-food",
      "title": "South Korea: online food-service ordering (delivery apps and other online channels)",
      "note": "Transaction value of the 'food services' group in the national online shopping statistics — mostly delivery ordering, almost all of it on mobile. Source unit is KRW 100 million; shown here in KRW trillion, rounded.",
      "rows": [
        {
          "label": "Online food-service ordering — transaction value",
          "value": "KRW 32.4T",
          "segment": "all online channels, food services",
          "period": "2023",
          "source": "Statistics Korea (MODS), Online Shopping Trends",
          "url": "https://mods.go.kr/boardDownload.es?bid=241&list_no=447300&seq=1",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Online food-service ordering — transaction value",
          "value": "KRW 37.2T",
          "segment": "all online channels, food services",
          "period": "2024",
          "source": "Statistics Korea (MODS), Online Shopping Trends",
          "url": "https://mods.go.kr/boardDownload.es?bid=241&list_no=447300&seq=1",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Online food-service ordering — transaction value",
          "value": "KRW 41.6T",
          "segment": "all online channels, food services",
          "period": "2025",
          "source": "Statistics Korea (MODS), Online Shopping Trends",
          "url": "https://mods.go.kr/boardDownload.es?bid=241&list_no=447300&seq=1",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Online food-service ordering — quarterly value",
          "value": "KRW 10.9T",
          "segment": "flat vs 2025-Q4 (KRW 10.9T)",
          "period": "2026-Q2",
          "source": "Statistics Korea (MODS), Online Shopping Trends",
          "url": "https://mods.go.kr/boardDownload.es?bid=241&list_no=447300&seq=1",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Online food-service ordering — growth year on year",
          "value": "7.6%",
          "segment": "August 2026 vs August 2025 · preliminary",
          "period": "2026-08",
          "source": "Statistics Korea (MODS), Online Shopping Trends",
          "url": "https://mods.go.kr/boardDownload.es?bid=241&list_no=447300&seq=1",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Food services — share of all online shopping",
          "value": "16.4%",
          "segment": "preliminary",
          "period": "2026-08",
          "source": "Statistics Korea (MODS), Online Shopping Trends",
          "url": "https://mods.go.kr/boardDownload.es?bid=241&list_no=447300&seq=1",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Mobile share of online food-service ordering",
          "value": "99.1%",
          "segment": "preliminary",
          "period": "2026-08",
          "source": "Statistics Korea (MODS), Online Shopping Trends",
          "url": "https://mods.go.kr/boardDownload.es?bid=241&list_no=447300&seq=1",
          "tier": 1
        }
      ],
      "chart": "bars"
    },
    {
      "id": "korea-accommodation",
      "title": "South Korea: accommodation — size, revenue and digital adoption (KSIC 55)",
      "note": "Hotels, motels, guesthouses and other lodging establishments. More than half now transact through digital platforms (booking apps and OTAs); payment kiosks are rare.",
      "rows": [
        {
          "label": "Accommodation — businesses",
          "value": "62K",
          "segment": "KSIC 55 establishments",
          "period": "2021",
          "source": "Statistics Korea (MODS), Service Industry Survey",
          "url": "https://mods.go.kr/boardDownload.es?bid=240&list_no=428529&seq=1",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Accommodation — businesses",
          "value": "69K",
          "segment": "KSIC 55 establishments",
          "period": "2024",
          "source": "Statistics Korea (MODS), Service Industry Survey",
          "url": "https://mods.go.kr/boardDownload.es?bid=240&list_no=442483&seq=3",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Accommodation — people engaged",
          "value": "180K",
          "segment": "incl. owners and unpaid family workers",
          "period": "2024",
          "source": "Statistics Korea (MODS), Service Industry Survey",
          "url": "https://mods.go.kr/boardDownload.es?bid=240&list_no=442483&seq=3",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Accommodation — sales revenue",
          "value": "KRW 12,322B",
          "segment": "nominal",
          "period": "2021",
          "source": "Statistics Korea (MODS), Service Industry Survey",
          "url": "https://mods.go.kr/boardDownload.es?bid=240&list_no=428529&seq=1",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Accommodation — sales revenue",
          "value": "KRW 20,272B",
          "segment": "nominal · provisional",
          "period": "2024",
          "source": "Statistics Korea (MODS), Service Industry Survey",
          "url": "https://mods.go.kr/boardDownload.es?bid=240&list_no=442483&seq=3",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Accommodation — revenue per business",
          "value": "KRW 293M",
          "segment": "average across KSIC 55",
          "period": "2024",
          "source": "Statistics Korea (MODS), Service Industry Survey",
          "url": "https://mods.go.kr/boardDownload.es?bid=240&list_no=442483&seq=3",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Accommodation transacting via digital platforms",
          "value": "44.3%",
          "segment": "share of KSIC 55 establishments",
          "period": "2021",
          "source": "Statistics Korea (MODS), Service Industry Survey",
          "url": "https://mods.go.kr/boardDownload.es?bid=240&list_no=428529&seq=1",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Accommodation transacting via digital platforms",
          "value": "55.7%",
          "segment": "share of KSIC 55 establishments",
          "period": "2024",
          "source": "Statistics Korea (MODS), Service Industry Survey",
          "url": "https://mods.go.kr/boardDownload.es?bid=240&list_no=442483&seq=3",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Accommodation with a self-service payment kiosk",
          "value": "7.9%",
          "segment": "share of KSIC 55 establishments · 6.3% in 2021",
          "period": "2024",
          "source": "Statistics Korea (MODS), Service Industry Survey",
          "url": "https://mods.go.kr/boardDownload.es?bid=240&list_no=442483&seq=3",
          "tier": 1
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "taiwan-market",
      "title": "Taiwan: restaurants and hotels — businesses and reported sales",
      "note": "Businesses that file business tax themselves. Small outlets assessed a fixed tax by the tax office are excluded, so the counts are a lower bound on the number of outlets. Sales are nominal TWD; source values are in TWD, shown here in billions, rounded.",
      "rows": [
        {
          "label": "Food and beverage services — businesses filing business tax",
          "value": "35,403",
          "segment": "self-filing businesses only · lower bound of outlets",
          "period": "2019",
          "source": "Taiwan Ministry of Finance, Fiscal Information Agency",
          "url": "https://www.fia.gov.tw/download/eb9377a65aa84729893edc5295a66912",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Food and beverage services — businesses filing business tax",
          "value": "50,631",
          "segment": "self-filing businesses only · lower bound of outlets",
          "period": "2025",
          "source": "Taiwan Ministry of Finance, Fiscal Information Agency",
          "url": "https://www.fia.gov.tw/download/eb9377a65aa84729893edc5295a66912",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Food and beverage services — reported sales",
          "value": "TWD 426.4B",
          "segment": "nominal",
          "period": "2019",
          "source": "Taiwan Ministry of Finance, Fiscal Information Agency",
          "url": "https://www.fia.gov.tw/download/eb9377a65aa84729893edc5295a66912",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Food and beverage services — reported sales",
          "value": "TWD 710.1B",
          "segment": "nominal",
          "period": "2025",
          "source": "Taiwan Ministry of Finance, Fiscal Information Agency",
          "url": "https://www.fia.gov.tw/download/eb9377a65aa84729893edc5295a66912",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Bars, nightclubs and hostess venues — businesses",
          "value": "276",
          "segment": "special F&B tax code · 407 in 2019",
          "period": "2025",
          "source": "Taiwan Ministry of Finance, Fiscal Information Agency",
          "url": "https://www.fia.gov.tw/download/eb9377a65aa84729893edc5295a66912",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Accommodation — businesses filing business tax",
          "value": "4,579",
          "segment": "self-filing businesses only",
          "period": "2019",
          "source": "Taiwan Ministry of Finance, Fiscal Information Agency",
          "url": "https://www.fia.gov.tw/download/eb9377a65aa84729893edc5295a66912",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Accommodation — businesses filing business tax",
          "value": "4,990",
          "segment": "self-filing businesses only",
          "period": "2025",
          "source": "Taiwan Ministry of Finance, Fiscal Information Agency",
          "url": "https://www.fia.gov.tw/download/eb9377a65aa84729893edc5295a66912",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Accommodation — reported sales",
          "value": "TWD 123.3B",
          "segment": "nominal · pandemic low",
          "period": "2020",
          "source": "Taiwan Ministry of Finance, Fiscal Information Agency",
          "url": "https://www.fia.gov.tw/download/eb9377a65aa84729893edc5295a66912",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Accommodation — reported sales",
          "value": "TWD 176.0B",
          "segment": "nominal",
          "period": "2025",
          "source": "Taiwan Ministry of Finance, Fiscal Information Agency",
          "url": "https://www.fia.gov.tw/download/eb9377a65aa84729893edc5295a66912",
          "tier": 1
        }
      ],
      "chart": "bars"
    },
    {
      "id": "taiwan-wages",
      "title": "Taiwan: hospitality staff — regular monthly earnings by occupation (July 2025)",
      "note": "Regular monthly earnings (excluding bonuses and overtime) of employees at end-July 2025. 'All hospitality' is accommodation and food service together; hotel and restaurant rows are subsets.",
      "rows": [
        {
          "label": "Food and beverage servers (incl. counter staff)",
          "value": "TWD 35,646/month",
          "segment": "all hospitality · 163,925 employees",
          "period": "2025-07",
          "source": "Taiwan Ministry of Labor, Occupational Wage Survey",
          "url": "https://apiservice.mol.gov.tw/OdService/download/A17000000J-030095-O63",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Cooks (incl. kitchen supervisors)",
          "value": "TWD 41,597/month",
          "segment": "all hospitality · 76,095 employees",
          "period": "2025-07",
          "source": "Taiwan Ministry of Labor, Occupational Wage Survey",
          "url": "https://apiservice.mol.gov.tw/OdService/download/A17000000J-030095-O63",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Cooks in hotels",
          "value": "TWD 45,455/month",
          "segment": "accommodation only",
          "period": "2025-07",
          "source": "Taiwan Ministry of Labor, Occupational Wage Survey",
          "url": "https://apiservice.mol.gov.tw/OdService/download/A17000000J-030095-O63",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Cooks in restaurants",
          "value": "TWD 41,030/month",
          "segment": "restaurants only",
          "period": "2025-07",
          "source": "Taiwan Ministry of Labor, Occupational Wage Survey",
          "url": "https://apiservice.mol.gov.tw/OdService/download/A17000000J-030095-O63",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Kitchen helpers (incl. fast-food cooks)",
          "value": "TWD 32,072/month",
          "segment": "all hospitality · 29,529 employees",
          "period": "2025-07",
          "source": "Taiwan Ministry of Labor, Occupational Wage Survey",
          "url": "https://apiservice.mol.gov.tw/OdService/download/A17000000J-030095-O63",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Receptionists and front-desk clerks",
          "value": "TWD 34,193/month",
          "segment": "all hospitality · 8,406 employees",
          "period": "2025-07",
          "source": "Taiwan Ministry of Labor, Occupational Wage Survey",
          "url": "https://apiservice.mol.gov.tw/OdService/download/A17000000J-030095-O63",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Beverage makers and bartenders",
          "value": "TWD 33,331/month",
          "segment": "all hospitality · 22,802 employees",
          "period": "2025-07",
          "source": "Taiwan Ministry of Labor, Occupational Wage Survey",
          "url": "https://apiservice.mol.gov.tw/OdService/download/A17000000J-030095-O63",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Managers and supervisors",
          "value": "TWD 52,419/month",
          "segment": "all hospitality · 75,786 employees",
          "period": "2025-07",
          "source": "Taiwan Ministry of Labor, Occupational Wage Survey",
          "url": "https://apiservice.mol.gov.tw/OdService/download/A17000000J-030095-O63",
          "tier": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Managers and supervisors in hotels",
          "value": "TWD 56,999/month",
          "segment": "accommodation only",
          "period": "2025-07",
          "source": "Taiwan Ministry of Labor, Occupational Wage Survey",
          "url": "https://apiservice.mol.gov.tw/OdService/download/A17000000J-030095-O63",
          "tier": 1
        }
      ],
      "chart": "bars"
    }
  ],
  "reconciliation": {
    "title": "Why the Korean kiosk and delivery numbers seem to disagree, and why Korea and Taiwan counts are not comparable",
    "body": "Kiosks: the Service Industry Survey counts self-service payment kiosks across all restaurant, café and bar establishments (10.1% in 2024). The Digital Industry Survey of the Ministry of Science and ICT reports 28.9% for kiosk ordering, but its base is accommodation and food businesses that already use digital platforms — a more digital group — and it counts ordering, not only payment. Both are true for their own base. Delivery: the share of restaurants selling via delivery has fallen for three years, while the value of online food ordering keeps rising. One is a count of outlets, the other is money: fewer outlets do delivery, and those that do sell more through it. Korea against Taiwan: Korea counts every establishment in a sample survey, including owner-run outlets; Taiwan counts only businesses that file business tax themselves, which leaves out small fixed-tax outlets. Use each country's figures for its own trend, not to compare market sizes. All revenue and sales values are nominal and in local currency; nothing is converted.",
    "sources": [
      {
        "source": "Statistics Korea (MODS) — Service Industry Survey, 2024 results",
        "url": "https://mods.go.kr/boardDownload.es?bid=240&list_no=442483&seq=3"
      },
      {
        "source": "Statistics Korea (MODS) — Online Shopping Trends",
        "url": "https://mods.go.kr/boardDownload.es?bid=241&list_no=447300&seq=1"
      },
      {
        "source": "Ministry of Science and ICT — Digital Industry Survey (KDI Economic Information Center)",
        "url": "https://eiec.kdi.re.kr/policy/materialView.do?num=283973"
      },
      {
        "source": "Taiwan Fiscal Information Agency — business tax by industry",
        "url": "https://www.fia.gov.tw/download/eb9377a65aa84729893edc5295a66912"
      },
      {
        "source": "Taiwan Ministry of Labor — Occupational Wage Survey",
        "url": "https://apiservice.mol.gov.tw/OdService/download/A17000000J-030095-O63"
      }
    ]
  },
  "methodology": "Every number on this page is a fact node in the God of Startups Atlas — a knowledge graph where each metric carries its source URL, reporting period, evidence tier and the verbatim quote it was taken from. All rows are tier 1: national statistics offices, ministries and tax authorities of South Korea and Taiwan. Values are shown in the currency the source reports; large values are rounded to billions or trillions, nothing is converted, estimated or modelled.",
  "metaTitle": "South Korea and Taiwan Restaurant and Hotel Market 2026",
  "metaDescription": "South Korea has 789K restaurants, cafés and bars with KRW 198,881B in sales (2024); 50,631 Taiwan food and beverage businesses reported TWD 710.1B (2025).",
  "cite": "God of Startups Atlas (2026). South Korea and Taiwan Restaurant and Hotel Market 2026: Outlets, Revenue, Delivery, Kiosks and Staff Wages. https://godofstartups.com/atlas/korea-taiwan-restaurants-hotels — data: Statistics Korea (MODS), Taiwan Fiscal Information Agency, Taiwan Ministry of Labor, KDI. Licence: CC BY 4.0.",
  "page": "https://godofstartups.com/atlas/korea-taiwan-restaurants-hotels",
  "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "note": "Each row carries its primary source, period and evidence tier (1 = official/statutory, 2 = industry research with disclosed method)."
}