Start your coffee brand in Seoul by defining a sharp concept, locking a test location, and building a local supply chain in 60–90 days. Prioritize districts that match your target buyer—Seongsu for design-savvy 20–30s, Gangnam/Yeoksam for office traffic, Hongdae for students—and negotiate key money (권리금) and a 1–2 year lease; a 12–20-pyeong space with high frontage works. In parallel, OEM your beans with a Seoul roastery (white-label) to validate two SKUs: a milk-friendly blend (medium roast, 18g in/36g out, 25–30s) and a bright single-origin for pour-over; set water to 70–120 ppm TDS and standardize iced extraction for year-round demand. Register as a 휴게음식점 (café) and complete the hygiene course; add manufacturing approval only if you roast in-house. Price to market: Americano ₩3,000–₩4,500, latte ₩4,500–₩6,000, signature ₩5,500–₩6,500. Launch with Naver Place and Kakao Map SEO (name in Korean + category keywords), Instagram Reels, and a KakaoTalk Channel for order-ahead; list delivery on Baemin/Coupang Eats and sell beans/drip bags via Naver Smart Store. Staff via Albamon; train with SOPs, dial-in sheets, and peak scheduling (8–10am, 12–2pm). Track KPIs—conversion, beverage COGS <28%, labor <25%, repeat rate via stamp coupons—and run weekly collabs/pop-ups to drive UGC. Expand wholesale to offices and boutique hotels nearby.
