Starbucks Gyeongdong 1960 Branch

eenomsiki

“The future of Korean Starbucks found in the breath of the past” With the launch of SCK Company, E-Mart now has full control over Starbucks Korea. Their recent opening early this year stands out, especially given their expansion of unique stores worldwide. Unlike the bustling Kyungdong Market, the once abandoned Kyungdong Theater has been chosen by Starbucks. Instead of completely transforming this space, which seems frozen in time, Starbucks opted to breathe life into it while preserving its historical essence. They crafted seats out of the former audience area, transformed the screen area into a display, and, instead of calling out customer numbers, projected them on the wall with a projector reminiscent of old projectors. The entrance retains the original theater's grandeur, leaving an impression of majesty and profundity that is still vivid in writing. Starbucks has shown various experiments with their stores over the years, but this large-scale and upcycling-like endeavor seems to be a first. It’s exciting to think that Korea could have its own internationally sought-after Starbucks, similar to those in Japan, something previously unimagined.