The much-anticipated coffee shop at Jongno Tower covers 1,097 square meters of floor space on the first and second floors of the building, four times bigger than the coffeehouse chain’s typical 264-square-meter store. (Image: Starbucks)
SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Korea Bizwire) – Starbucks is set to open its biggest store in South Korea in Seoul’s Jongno district on Wednesday, in a move to solidify the brand’s already strong presence in an increasingly competitive market.
The much-anticipated coffee shop at Jongno Tower covers 1,097 square meters of floor space on the first and second floors of the building, four times bigger than the coffeehouse chain’s typical 264-square-meter store.
The latest move by the U.S. coffeehouse chain comes on the heels of low-cost coffeehouse Ediya Coffee’s decision to open a flagship store of a similar size last year in Gangnam District.
A wide range of menu items and premium services to differentiate from other locations will be on offer, such as herbal teas ‘Teavana Blueberry Bliss’ and ‘Teavana Citrus Lavender Sage’, which will be available at four of the TEAVANA inspired stores across the country including the Jongno location that opens tomorrow.
Some 100 beverages and 60 bakery products will be available at the new Jongno location, 30 percent more than the average number of items available at other stores.
Siphon coffee makers will be used to brew some of the drinks at the new coffee shop, while an exclusive trial program available at the store’s community room will introduce some completely new offerings such as Origin Flight and Brew Comparison.
Starbucks is set to open its biggest store in South Korea in Seoul’s Jongno district on Wednesday, in a move to solidify the brand’s already strong presence in an increasingly competitive market. (Image: Starbucks)
In addition, seven types of rice products made in South Korea using Starbucks coffee grounds as a fertilizer will also be on sale, including beans & sweet potato rice chips.
A large-scale artwork to be installed on one side of the store uses traditional Korean fabric to recreate the coffee chain’s signature Siren logo with a Korean touch, a fitting addition for Jongno District, a neighborhood boasting traditional venues such as Gyeongbokgung Palace and Insadong.
Starbucks currently operates around 1,100 stores across South Korea.
Earlier this month, the American coffeehouse giant opened the world’s biggest store in Shanghai, China, the first Starbucks Reserve Roastery outside the U.S, further expanding its presence in the East Asian market.
Hyunsu Yim (hyunsu@koreabizwire.com)
