※ This is part of a fictional series inspired by letters from my article readers.
※ All details have been anonymized and adapted with permission.
This letter may look like a simple debate about adding a salad to a pub menu — but it’s actually a question about how a small business perceives the world. Structure or emotion? System or reaction? Every survival decision begins here.
Dear Saltnfire,
I run a chicken pub in Korea. As you may know, Koreans usually go for beer after having a full dinner.
Notice for English readers: In Korea, we have a unique drinking culture called the “2nd Round.” People eat a heavy dinner first—like Korean BBQ—then move to a pub just for beer. So they arrive already full but still want something light to chew on. That’s why they ask for salad.
Some customers say chicken is too heavy and ask for something like a Caesar salad. Right now I offer simple snacks—dried appetizers, canned fruit—but female customers don’t seem very satisfied. Even if I raise the price a little, should I add a chicken Caesar salad to the menu?
Dear Bro,
I’ve gotten the same feedback many times—“Please add salad.” But from the day I opened my pub until the day I closed it, I never added salad as a regular menu item. Before deciding whether salad “works” or “doesn’t work,” you first need to understand the structural reality of Korean pubs and restaurants. Most owners fall into one of two emotional extremes:
- “Salad makes no money. Absolutely not!”
- “Customers asked for it. We must do it!”
Both are wrong. Both are emotional reactions. A structural view leads to a different conclusion: It depends on the system.
1. Structural Analysis of Salad
(1) The inherent nature of salad
First, look at what salad is as a product.
- It has very little room for added value.
- It depends heavily on freshness.
- It operates in a low-salt / low-acid / low-heat / low-preservation structure. → Inventory management becomes extremely difficult.
Salad is raw-ingredient–driven. There’s very little a chef can do to “upgrade” it using technique. Salt, pepper, dressing base, and maybe a bit of protein. That’s it. In a high-labor-cost country, salad becomes a silent productivity killer.
Process: prep → wash → cut → spin → store → salt/pepper → dressing → toppings. Every step is manual labor. Try handing this job to your dishwasher and they’ll say: “Why are you making me do this?” When the kitchen is slammed, this gets even worse. Instead of making pasta, stew, or chicken, your chef is stuck assembling salad. This is pure operational waste.
Now think about customer expectations. If someone goes out to eat, they expect something better than what they can do at home. But salad? There’s not much room to outperform home cooking—maybe the dressing, maybe the toppings. That’s it. Customers will instantly compare with home cost: “This much for lettuce?” Satisfaction drops. Raise the price due to weather? Nobody cares. They assume greens should be cheap. And salad doesn’t even pair well with beer.
As I wrote in [See: The Secret Behind Beer-Craving Flavors]: Beer pairs with fatty, salty, spicy, sticky foods. Salad is bitter, light, evaporates immediately in the palate—it kills hop flavor. Pairing IPA with romaine lettuce is like listening to heavy metal while meditating. They kill each other’s vibe.
Takeaway: Salad = high cost + high labor + high expectations + bad beer pairing.
(2) Then why do some European pubs serve salad?
In Prague or Munich city centers, you’ll often see salad on pub menus. But in local towns—🇨🇿Olomouc, or places like 🇬🇪Gori—no salad. Just pretzels. 😭😭 This isn’t because salad is profitable in European cities. The structural characteristics of salad are the same everywhere. European owners also would prefer salami or pretzels if they could.
So what conditions make salad possible?
[Salad Culture]
In big European cities, there is a clear, stable consumer group that values “healthy choices”—vegans, vegetarians, health-conscious diners. There’s also a widespread habit of eating a light salad before a meal. This creates consistent baseline demand.
But Korea does not have this. Even customers who ask for salad at a pub will eat soup, meat, or sashimi when they’re actually hungry. There is no habitual salad demand. For most Korean pubs, stocking salad is simply wasteful.
[Pre-cut → Pre-mix → Pre-topping supply chain]
In Korea, independent restaurants must wash, cut, and prep raw greens themselves. Because “starter salad” culture is not common, there’s no large-scale bulk supply chain for pre-cut mixes—unless you’re a franchise. But in Europe (and the US), bulk suppliers provide pre-cut, pre-mixed greens and toppings. This enables Just-In-Time ordering—reducing spoilage dramatically. It also removes kitchen bottlenecks because salad arrives half-prepped. Then all you do is cook the chicken breast. In this scenario, salad becomes manageable.
[Climate constraints]
This one is unique to Korea. Korea’s long rainy season destroys vegetable supply. Prices spike. Waste skyrockets. Inventory control becomes a nightmare.
🇻🇳 Vietnam also has heavy rain—but their culture doesn’t involve eating salad at restaurants.
Most meals are cooked at home. People go out only on “special days,” so big-flavor foods dominate: whole fish, Korean-style BBQ, Italian pizza, etc. Thus, in Korea, climate + culture makes salad structurally unsuitable.
Takeaway: Unless you have steady demand + bulk prep supply + a climate advantage, salad is hard to recommend.
2. Smart Owners Don’t Judge the Menu — They Judge the Structure
What I want to emphasize here is not simply “salad or no salad.” It’s about not making emotional decisions and instead thinking structurally. You must evaluate your own system:
- your menu production flow
- your kitchen’s physical layout
- your cost structure
- your ability to standardize
- your lead time & bottlenecks
The question is not “Do customers want salad?” The real question is: “Does salad fit the operating system of your shop?”
But many owners default to emotional extremes:
- “The customer is king → We must do it!”
- “The cost is high → Never do it!”
- “It looks great on Instagram → We must do it!”
- “Competitors have it → We should have it too!”
This is stimulus–response thinking. A pure dopamine model. It is not sustainable. Depending on your market structure, sometimes you should serve salad even if the cost is high. Sometimes you should not, even if the customer is king. The bigger danger is this: Owners become intoxicated by “success stories” on YouTube, Instagram, or blogs. It’s comforting to hear: “A famous chef did this, so you should too.”
But you learn nothing. 👉 Right or wrong, you must think and judge for yourself. Write emails, ask questions, debate, and refine your framework. That’s how owners grow.
Takeaway: Someone else’s success story may comfort you, but it will not help you survive.
3. Salad Alternatives: Super Easy Salad Hacking
I won’t leave you without options. Here are practical, low-stress alternatives that fit small pub systems.
(1) Chicory + Sun-dried Cherry Tomatoes + Canned Fruit
I’ve tested many greens, and chicory is unmatched for price and durability. Wash it, spin it, layer it in a sealed container with paper towels—it lasts 5–7 days. Chicory is slightly bitter, so pair it with yuzu dressing:
[Yuzu Dressing Recipe]
- Yuzu syrup 250g
- Canola or olive oil 200g
- Lemon juice 90g
Blend on high speed until fully emulsified.
Color contrast also matters. Sun-dried cherry tomatoes give the perfect red-green balance—and they store incredibly well.
[Sun-dried Cherry Tomato Recipe]
- Cut cherry tomatoes in half
- Salt + pepper
- Add basil/oregano if you want
- Bake at 120°C for 60–90 minutes
- Dry but not rock-hard
- Cool → jar → cover with olive oil
- Add rosemary or bay leaf (optional)
Stores 1 month+ at room temperature.
When an order comes in:
Chicory + Sun-dried tomatoes (small amount) + a few canned fruit pieces
Cheap, stable, and surprisingly well-received. Many customers asked: “What is this? Why is this so good?” (Sun-dried tomatoes Amazing !)
Takeaway: If you can’t serve salad, create a “salad-looking menu” that is structurally stable.
(2) Coleslaw Pack or Potato Salad Pack
If even the above feels too much—here is the final weapon. Buy pre-made coleslaw or potato salad. Then add one or two human touches so it feels homemade. For potato salad, mix:
- 1 spoon canned peas
- 1 tsp honey mustard
- 1 slice of ham (chopped)
That’s it. I once served schnitzel with this potato salad. A lady loved it so much she bought extra to take home. I felt a bit guilty… but hey, business is business. 😭😭
Takeaway: Buy in bulk. Add 1% human touch. Sell.
4. Conclusion
The point of this letter is not salad. It’s about how to think like a resilient operator. Don’t make decisions from emotion. Make decisions from structure. If a menu item supports your survival → adopt it. If it threatens your system → reject it. Only when structural stability + production system + market culture align will a menu truly work.
“A smart pub owner doesn’t chase emotion.
A smart pub owner builds structures.”
From Saltnfire
Sincerely
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