To start a coffee business in Seoul, secure legal eligibility, a compliant site, and a concept tuned for Naver-driven footfall. Pick a ground-floor "neighborhood living facility (2nd class)" space already approved for 휴게음식점 use to avoid costly change-of-use; budget deposit + key money + 권리금, plus 12-24 months rent in reserves. File business registration with the National Tax Service (Hometax) and submit a Food Service "business notification" at your gu’s public health center with lease, floor plan, equipment list, sanitation sink/ventilation specs, and proof of initial food-hygiene training; designate a hygiene manager and book gas, electrical, and fire inspections. If roasting, obtain food manufacturing notification and odor/emissions control approval; expect an afterburner in dense districts. For foreigners, operate via a corporation or D-8-1 investor visa (>= KRW 100M capital and physical office); proprietorships require a long-term residence visa. Choose areas with weekday office flow or weekend tourism (Seongsu, Ikseon, Garosu-gil); validate with Naver Maps hourly heatmaps, card-spend data, and landlord utility logs. Equip for throughput: 2-group machine (KRW 8-15M), two grinders, filtration, POS tied to NTS e-invoice, and ZeroPay/KakaoPay. Price for 70% gross margin. Launch with Naver Place SEO, KakaoTalk Channel, photo-led menu, and collaboration desserts; contract licensed food-waste pickup.
