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Starbucks Korea expects to add at least 100 branches this year

Published: 15 Feb. 2026, 10:22

The rooftop of Starbucks Korea's latest Special Store branch at Gwangjang Market in Seoul, which opened May 29, 2025. [YONHAP]

Starbucks Korea expects to open at least 100 new branches this year as it continues its steady expansion in Asia's fourth-largest economy, the company said Sunday.

The Seattle-based coffee chain entered Korea in 1999, opening its first store near Ewha Womans University in Seoul through a partnership with local retail conglomerate Shinsegae Group.

As of the end of last year, Starbucks operated 2,115 stores nationwide, making Korea its third-largest market by store count after the United States, with 16,911 branches, and China, with 8,011. Japan had 2,105 stores, the company said.

The number of stores in Korea has increased by more than 100 annually over the past four years, rising from 1,777 in 2022 to 1,893 in 2023 and 2,009 in 2024.

"This year, we will continue to open new outlets, including Special Store locations, to attract local consumers and sustain growth," a company representative said.

Special Stores include outlets in scenic locations, repurposed spaces such as former factories and theaters and sites connected to traditional markets and local communities.

The company has also stepped up marketing efforts.

In early 2023, it began replacing its name-based pickup system at some stores with vibrating pagers to notify customers when orders are ready. Starbucks beverages are also available through delivery platforms, such as Baedal Minjok, known as Baemin, and Coupang Eats.

In 2025, Starbucks Korea posted an operating profit of 173 billion won ($119 million), down 9.3 percent from 190.8 billion won a year earlier, as higher raw material costs weighed on margins.

"A weaker won against the U.S. dollar increased import costs for coffee beans and other materials," the representative said.

Sales rose 4.4 percent on year to 3.24 trillion won from 3.1 trillion won.

Shinsegae Group's discount chain Emart holds a 67.5 percent stake in Starbucks Korea, while Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GIC owns the remaining 32.5 percent.

Yonhap