Comments on: WSJ’s Slam Dunkin’

By: fatmanseoul

fatmanseoul — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:12:42 +0000

the driving culture also has an impact, we think – no drive through and no convenient parking make it a pain to grab a cup o’ joe on the go.

By: annamatic

annamatic — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:57:46 +0000

I was in Jeonju a couple of weekends ago and I have to say, even in that comparatively smaller town, the cute cafe trend was thriving. Definitely agree, it’s not the coffee that Koreans are opposed to, it’s just that in general Koreans aren’t accustomed to eating or drinking anything on their own, an certainly not in transit. It’s all about sitting down and eat/drinking it together with a gang of friends… DD has such tiny shops with tiny tables; seems like they’re only viable from the hours of 12:30-1:30, when the office crowd picks up coffee on the way back to work…

By: fatmanseoul

fatmanseoul — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 01:03:29 +0000

Danny, if you’ll read our earlier comments, we address just this issue: Trends begin in Seoul and then spread outward, and usually young people will take to them first. Even in Busan though, I’m sure you’ll agree that there are lots of coffee shops and lots of people consuming coffee throughout the day. Grabbing it on the go may be harder, as we said. We think that the article inaccurately represents Koreans as being less accustomed to coffee than they really are, rather than being less inclined (and not uninclined – witness the morning rush at Starbucks and other chain coffee shops) to drink it on the go because of structural considerations. We would also say that what DD’s management seems to think is a problem behavior that needs to be altered is in reality not a problem at all – else why would the stores already established be so successful?

By: danny

danny — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:01:01 +0000

I think the WSJ take on the caffeine culture was accurate Fatman. Generally, Koreans aren’t in line for coffee as a morning pick-me-up, the way we are in the West. Breakfast, according to my students for the past 7 years is still soup and rice. Coffee is a luxury item, that like the article alludes to , is related to the ‘young office worker sect’. It is Dunkin Int’l CEO Nigel blah blah, who wants to change this.
Probably in Seoul, this might be a trendy thing for younger people with some money, but my experience in Busan is still much in line with traditional thinking. That is, coffee is a bad thing. It’s ok to drink instant coffee after meals as part of a social situation, but, as a general, no one grabs their donuts and coffee to go.

By: 3gyupsal

3gyupsal — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 06:45:28 +0000

Coffee is an interesting subject here. I first came here to Seoul in 04 and back then there were places like “the coffeebean,” as well as the ubiquitous dunkins, then I moved to Jinju, in 05 and there were 4 dunkins at that time, but all of the local coffee shops only made espresso drinks with a bunch of sugar in them. (No starbucks, only hollys.) In 07, the first local coffee shop to make melitta dripped coffee opened, they also roasted their own beans, soon after that another one like that opened, and then finally in 08 a starbucks opened.

I have also bean (pun intended) following the devolopment of Mr. Donut in Korea. I think the first was in Myeong dong in 2008. (This was a highly anticipated event for me, but I was disapointed that they don’t give free refils, or offer the delicious 왕 만두, like the one’s in Japan.) I’m also very happy about the opening of the Mr. Donut in the Bexco Shinsege department store. (Great for me, don’t have to bus 4 hours to the bright and shining town of Myeong dong, in that otherwise vomitous megalopolis of sin some people like to call Seoul*. Instead I just have to go 2 hours to the vomitous den of sin called Busan, but at least they have an ocean.) All that for a cup of coffee.

*I actually enjoy my trips to Seoul, I just like to complain about it when I am not there. But yes I am quite pleased that I don’t have to go all the way there if I want Mr. Donut.

By: Street Foodie

Street Foodie — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 12:42:59 +0000

Its not the same, but our school practically runs on that jardin instant coffee you get in convenience stores, the stuff with the white milk powder inside? I have to admit a secret addiction there to be honest…

By: bowbiter

bowbiter — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 04:58:45 +0000

coffee and korea are made for each other and have been since way before i was there in 2001. they may not have drip coffee but they are always have the instant coffee packs readily available. they also go out frequently and get coffee for short meetings before/after meals. and given their typically small kitchen counter space i really cant blame them for not having coffee makers at home.

By: fatmanseoul

fatmanseoul — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 02:56:11 +0000

Fatman has some pretty wide feet, and we have to say that the majority of people we know here drink coffee like it’s going out of style. Many offices now have drip coffee makers, and office workers of our aquiantance grumble about needing the caffeine jolt to stay alert on the job. We also note that there’s usually a line of people at Krispy Kreme, Pascussi, and Starbucks in the mornings before work, and many of those people are getting their coffee to go. However, it’s important to note that this is in Seoul, and the same trend may not be as well established or as prominent in other parts of the country. In fact, we’d be surprised if the denizens of Mokpo and Donghae and Gongju and Pohang were as accustomed to coffee as part of morning routine, considering that there are fewer chains and fewer individual stores. Getting a cup of Starbucks coffee on your way to work is easy in Seoul, but requires a more extensive trip if you’re in Yeosu.
We also should have pointed out in our response that differences in commute and driving culture also have an impact. It’s another reason why McD’s and other places may seem to have less interest in their breakfasts.

By: Brian

Brian — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 11:36:13 +0000

About Koreans loving coffee . . . I dunno, I haven’t looked into it, but isn’t coffee more of a treat here, a dessert, than a pick-me-up? I’m not talking about the Maxim sticks, I mean the “drip coffee” available at the chains.

I’m also wondering how many Koreans own coffeemakers. I have one, and they obviously sell since they have them in the grocery stores (even if they don’t always sell the coffee to go along with it). I second your point about not encouraging Koreans to get their fix in the morning . . . I don’t need to wait 25 minutes in line.

Personally, I like just making coffee at home in the morning, and use coffeeshops for a place to sit and read. I like it that way, and I see no reason to change it. I’d hate to see Koreans change just for the sake of change, adopting a habit just because they’re told to by TV (we’ll see how that goes, though; after all, look at the popularity of these chains here.)

By: Brian

Brian — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 11:30:53 +0000

Thanks for the link.
I have my sources.
They’re just not as good as the WSJ’s, apparently.