In partnership with FanLife
The immensely popular BTS Meal, a result of a collab between K-pop megastars BTS and international fast food chain McDonald’s, caused so much buzz in Indonesia that branches had to close off stores for a couple days due to COVID-19 safety protocols.
The meal, which features limited-edition BTS-themed packaging and special Sweet Chili and Cajun dipping sauces, debuted last Wednesday in the Southeast Asian country and caused a huge backup in store orders and a long line of deliverymen.
Most customers placed their orders online, leading droves of deliverymen to cramped branches. Some even reported waiting two hours before they were able to receive their orders.
“We temporarily closed four of six McDonald’s stores here in Semarang for a couple of days,” said Fajar Purwoto, the Indonesian city’s public order agency head. He told AFP, “I don’t want Semarang to be in the COVID-19 red zone again.”
Jakarta police have also ordered another 32 branches to close temporarily for “violating health protocols” because of a failure to limit capacity to 50% and a lack of social distancing.
Indonesia is still battling the COVID-19 pandemic, with the vaccination rate at a slow 4% and cases increasing daily.
Luckily, Indonesian ARMYs foresaw the struggle of deliverymen and encouraged fellow fans of the boy band to tip riders and offer donations.
“It’s great when we can share our happiness with others. This time, let’s share it with the [delivery] drivers,” BTS ARMY Indonesia shared on their main page. “They will be our heroes ordering the BTS meal… dedicating their time to waiting and delivering the special food directly to each ARMY’s home.
On June 18, the Philippines will also see the release of the BTS Meal in McDonald’s branches nationwide. The country is reportedly preparing for the huge demand and is committed to enforcing COVID-19 safety protocols.
