The store, which has two floors and seats 142 customers, features a ‘Pet Zone’ on the second floor, specially designed for patrons with pets. This area includes pet-specific chairs, and customers with pets can access the Pet Zone through an external entrance on the first floor. (Image courtesy of Starbucks Korea)
SEOUL, Jan. 4 (Korea Bizwire) – Starbucks Korea has announced the opening of its first pet-friendly store in Guri, Gyeonggi Province, set to welcome customers on January 5.
The Guri Galmae DT store, located in Galmae-dong, is the first Starbucks in the country to feature a designated space for customers to relax with their pets.
In preparation for the store’s opening, Starbucks received approval last year for a pilot store under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s ‘Regulatory Sandbox’ program, aimed at fostering industrial convergence.
The store, which has two floors and seats 142 customers, features a ‘Pet Zone’ on the second floor, specially designed for patrons with pets. This area includes pet-specific chairs, and customers with pets can access the Pet Zone through an external entrance on the first floor.
Alongside the store’s opening, the Guri Galmae DT branch will also introduce a new ‘Cream Family Bag Set’. To celebrate the opening, Starbucks will run a promotional event from January 5 to 11, offering double stars for each car order made using a Starbucks card at the drive-thru.
Starbucks is not the first coffee chain to cater to pet owners, as major chains A Twosome Place and Hollys Coffee have previously introduced stores with separate dining and pet areas. Starbucks’ refurbished ‘The Bukhan River R’ branch also includes a designated pet space. A Twosome Place operates two such branches nationwide, while Hollys Coffee has five.
Some brands are considering applying for a regulatory sandbox, similar to Starbucks. The Coffee Bean also received a special exemption for pet-accompanied store access last September, and the company plans to operate 35 stores nationwide as pet-accompanied branches until September 10, 2025, when the regulatory exemption expires.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
