hankyoreh

Blue Bottle Coffee Company, based in California, opened its first South Korean branch in Seoul’s Seongsu neighborhood on May 3. Often referred to as the “Apple of the coffee industry,” Blue Bottle branched out to Tokyo in 2015, where customers waited up to three hours on opening day. The Seoul grand opening attracted over 200 people waiting in line as soon as the doors opened at 8 am. Koreans comprise the second most people among the company’s Instagram followers, after American followers. The company has announced that it plans to open its second Seoul branch in the Samcheong neighborhood by the end of 2019. (Blue Bottle Korea Instagram account)