i wonder if they could be more profitable by being cheaper. eg there's a balance for price and quality and if the prices were lower, could they get more business so that they are still making better bank
@KazuDiabolis It's the cup and ice, also peace of mind knowing no one fucked with the ice. (Kids putting salt packets, people using their hands instead of the scooper, dead flies, ect. I worked at McDonald's trust me both machines end up with dead flies eventually.)
If you’re already in LA, just go to Silverlake Ramen or any number of ramen places. And if you really want instant ramen, H-Mart and other asian grocers are right there
@@BSIIInah the 4 or 5 pack of this exact buldak instant ramen is $10 CAD (approx $7 USD) in a convenience store where the prices are marked up. It's at least a 300% markup
There's something seriously wrong with the concept of bringing over an idea and the accompanying aesthetic while completely disregarding the original intent and purpose of the idea. Convenience store ramen is supposed to be cheap and easy, and the aesthetic has developed thanks to the local needs and preferences. There are ways how this concept could be brought over without sacrificing the core purpose of offering cheap and easy food, but I guess there's enough such options available in LA that they get away with selling a pure novelty snack with the aesthetic only as the selling point. And that's kinda rotten in itself.
Y’all - it’s the EXPERIENCE. Most people will never experience this type of store because they will not travel, it’s expensive. This might be expensive, but it gives you the same feeling.
@@devilbaby2010 That's in other countries, not here in Los Angeles California. The cost of living here is higher than almost anywhere else in the world. 🌎🌍
@@gwendolynrhett-dm3wtcost of business yes. The toppings werent bad but Buldak ramen is typically already expensive at $1-2 per bag with pack of 5 for $7 at Walmart. A whole bag of American cheese is $4. A bag of dumplings for $4. The typical ramen in USA is 50 cents. $2 for dozen eggs. $0.50 for shallots bunch. $3 for can of spam. Cooking in USA is $0.10 per kilowatt-hr. Meaning its 0.10 to warm a pot of water for 1 hr. Total will be LESS than whats charged here. Again electricity and convenient? No. Cost of doing business aka profit yes. Market grocers charge typically less than a vending machine owner as they are selling more sales than a local vendor. Markets have thinner margins as well.
In the uk there's a store called Morrisons which has a huge selection of instant noodles in the world food aisle...you maybe wouldn't get this brand specifically, but you could most definitely get something similar for about £3.50 for a four or five pack in there. 20 dollars would probably equal to about £18 or £17 pounds in our country which is WAY too excessive in price. You could most probably get a few weeks worth of this stuff, including the toppings (and probably more) from morrisons for that price. This is honestly a rip off that just targets weebs as their target consumers/customers.
i live in an expensive country and you can get x5 packs of these imported ramyeon for $10. $7 for a pack is definitely a rip off. and for those complaining about the self service, i'd say it's part of the experience (and an enjoyable one at that😉)
even if you live anywhere else in the us it won't be this expensive.this is a scam in la and people buy into it easily.i can get a bowl of this ramen for 2$ at any asian market or import shop and an actual pack for like 1.90 i think
Even in Los Angeles, where this is and where I live, you can get a 5 pack of buldak for $6-$7 at the Asian markets. Really, for a place like this, you're paying for the novelty.
They can get in-house ACTUAL ramen in a legit restaurant for way less. They're paying extra money for the -aesthetic- The whole point of instant ramen is that it's cheap. I'd say shame on this restaurant for charging so much for instant ramen and a couple of extra ingredients anyone can buy from the supermarket and cook but yknow what if dumbasses are willing to be overcharged for a pack of ramen they could've made at home for 2 bucks then good on them.
The one thing I won't ever understand in the western world is how "quick and convenient " translates to "screw you and your pockets". So many places in the world offer quick and convenient while affordable because it should be. It's literally quick. $17 for instant ramen is insane. Just a way to price gouge the home sick people.
I was on board until I saw the price of white rice and other toppings. $3.50 USD is way too expensive for how much it sells on the market. They have to lower their prices or risk failing business wise
@@The3nd187 If they have to exploit like this, it’s time to review their business plans. They won’t last in the market if they think selling 3.50 rice is how to generate enough revenue to stay open. You can buy large quantities of rice for less than that.
$16 is crazy. That's legitimately more expensive than getting a proper bowl of ramen from a real place even some Michelin rated ones. At least she knows it was a giant ripoff and it you're better off spending your money somewhere else lol
lol with this price I can have like 5 ramen meals at home I think some office workers might be tempted to go there for a quick lunch but I’ve just bought ramen cups and put them in the office (which has hot water and microwave) and save that $15 dollar extra lmao
Almost $20 for a bowl of instant ramen and a drink. And there are people that are homeless and hungry not far from that spot most likely. God help humanity. Edit: I’m done responding to the comments I’m receiving, but before I go remember that these businesses are usually not started by local. They’re started by investors that WANT to make money. It’s a money trap, which is taking business away from honest, local businesses. SUPPORT LOCAL, SMALL BUSINESSES!!!
instant noodles are literally intended as, for a lack of better term, poor ppl food. modifying it to be pricier and making it a trend makes it more inaccessible to the poor
This business would probably do well if it eas actually reasonable prices. People would use it often then. Now it will go out of business for being an over priced gimmick people visit once.
It ain't going out of business in LA. It's full of rich people who don't care about money. They have grocery stores in LA that are just as much of a rip off.
not jokes you can buy a 5pack of that same rame for $ 7 . i bought one yesterday. so this place is pretty expensive but i would try to bc you’re also pay of for the “korean convenient store” experience. which is hard to come by in america
The people in the US could also just buy all the ingredients at the supermarket. Buy a whole package of sliced cheese instead of just one slice for 1$, buy a whole cna of spam instead of these slices. Go home with your groceries and built your own bowl/pot of instant ramen, getting many more bowls for the same price...People are just wasteful and don't know how to handle money.
Maybe they have such high prices bc of import fees from Korea just so they can sell the same stuff as the Korea stores 😅 they should just stick with American based foods so the import fees aren't as high
It because they mark it up for convenience, if you get the same ramen at a store it's sometime 2-2.50 a piece, same places usually also sell 3packs as well for 5-6
It is because of multiple factors. First is for the experience of the typical Korean convenience store. Whatever is in demand can be exploited by raising the prices and the Seoul style groceries where you make and eat food inside is highly in demand. Second is just living cost. In India, prices for items are cheaper but the income of an average person is numerically lower too. Third is, LA is just an extremely expensive city. Prices for things in Delhi will always be higher than say in Guwahati or Gangtok. Eitherways, it is extremely expensive. If this shop is remains open and successful it will only be due to vibes and trend.
I think what people dont realize is your paying $17 for the experience, not necessarily the food. Of course you can get the food yourself and for dirt cheap, but you are paying for the self serve water and heater which can only be found in Asia. Its Asian experience that everyone wants nowadays.
This is the most lame excuse I have read for overpriced fast food. "Guys is an E X P I R I E N C E" Is more easy just admiting that L.A. people are crazy beyond repair lol
I thought this was in Korea for a second, and I'm just like, "HOW IS IT SO EXPENSIVE?!" But once I realized it was in LA, it made sense. I got charged $12 for Shin ramen with some tofu and green onions one time... 🙄
looks good,I don't expand on my noodles that often (alot of them are spicy and I have 0 spice tolerence) so I try non spicy noodles and everytime I like the main ones I eat
shops like these in their native countries are usually cheap budget spots... turning survival food into a bougie novelty experience is just the american way i guess
This is ridiculous. You can get an actual bowl of ramen or pho for that price, and it's probably a lot better. It's THAT expensive and you still have to put it together (not that it's a ton of work, but still)? What a ripoff.
