Starbucks opens largest store in South Korea

Starbucks’ 50/50 joint venture with Shinsegae Group opened Korea’s largest Starbucks store in Central Seoul in December 2017.
Located in Jongro Tower, with more than 900 residents, the store sits between two of the Tower’s floors covering over 1000 square meters. The Jongro store features a “Grand Bar,” a triangular bar on the second floor measuring 25 meters, making it the largest stand-alone bar at any Starbucks across South Korea, and puts both coffee forward and Teavana handcrafted beverages at centre stage. “The Jongro store represents the 19-year coffee journey we’ve been on with Korean customers,” said S.K. Lee, CEO, Starbucks Coffee Korea. “We are pleased to create a place which pays respect to our Korean heritage while elevating the coffee retail experience customers have come to expect of Starbucks.” The beverage menu at the Jongro store includes nearly 100 handcrafted customised beverages. The Teavana Blueberry Bliss and Teavana Lavender Sage beverages are uniquely brewed on a Siphon to extract the full tea flavours and aromas. These teas, as well as the Starbucks Reserve Origin Flight and Reserve Brew Comparison tasting experiences, can only be found at the Jongro store. In addition, more than 60 locally-sourced food items are available, including seven various rice dishes such as a Cactus rice ball with beans and sweet potato, as well as light meals and snacks, and can be found only at this location.  Since opening in 1999, Starbucks today has more than 1,140 stores across 75 cities in South Korea. Employing over 13,000 people, Starbucks Korea is a leading Employer of Choice in the country and is also a model of corporate citizenship with an robust social impact agenda, partnering with over 140 communities and nonprofits to serve its partners and the community.