Starbuck’s 50th premium ‘Starbucks Reserve’ store at the Korea Chamber of Commerce & Industry in Seoul. (image: Starbucks Coffee Korea Co.)
SEOUL, May 28 (Korea Bizwire) — Starbucks Coffee Korea Co. said Tuesday that the number of its upscale Reserve outlets has exceeded that of the United States, reflecting South Koreans’ growing appetite for premium coffee.
The U.S. coffee giant will open its 50th Starbucks Reserve store in central Seoul on Wednesday, Starbucks Coffee Korea said in a statement. The coffee chain runs 37 premium stores in the U.S.
“We are planning to expand the Reserve stores in South Korea to absorb increasing demand for premium coffee,” a company spokesman said.
Starbucks has advanced to 78 countries, but Starbucks Reserve outlets are available in only 28 nations. China has the highest number of Starbucks Reserve stores with 97 and Japan has six, it said.
Starbucks entered South Korea in 1999 and will operate 1,290 stores, including the 50 premium outlets, as of Wednesday.
Starbucks Coffee Korea earned 1.5 trillion won (US$1.26 billion) in 2018, up 20 percent from 1.28 trillion won a year earlier.
(Yonhap)
