"Gangnam is Narrow"... Food and Beverage Gathering in Busan

Gordon Ramsay Burger to Open 2nd Branch at Centum City Mall in July
SPC Shake Shack Opens 25th Branch on 1st Floor of Same Building

Major franchises are making efforts to secure flagship stores in the Busan area. Busan is one of the largest cities in South Korea alongside Seoul, with a high floating population including tourists and travelers. It is especially recognized as a leading domestic tourist commercial district favored by young consumers, making it a region with high sales expectations.

SPC Group's Shake Shack 25th store, Busan Centum branch.
[Photo by SPC]

According to industry sources on the 11th, Gordon Ramsay Burger, famous for its ultra-premium handmade burgers priced at 140,000 KRW, will open its second store in July at Centum City Mall in Busan. This is the first time the brand is opening a store outside of Seoul. The Gordon Ramsay Burger Centum City Mall branch is expected to occupy the basement first floor food court of Centum City, combining the spaces previously occupied by Seoga & Cook, Miz Container, and Johnny Rockets.

SPC Group’s Shake Shack opened its 25th branch last month on the first floor of Centum City Mall. This is the first Busan location in over four years since the Seomyeon store opened in 2019.

CJ Foodville’s Vips also upgraded its Busan W Square store to a premier-type specialty store in the second half of last year. As a result, the average daily sales increased by 101% compared to before the renewal. Vips plans to expand its stores focusing on regional hubs with good customer accessibility, transforming into a landmark where customers can enjoy high-quality steak dining.

Ediya Coffee opened a pop-up store themed around the game character 'Mokoko' from the MMORPG 'Lost Ark' on the 8th in Haeundae-gu, Busan. On this day, customers lined up in front of the store to enter.
[Photo by Ediya Coffee]

The coffee industry is also putting effort into the Busan area. Busan is a logistics hub that imported 92.5% of the coffee products distributed domestically as of last year. Ediya Coffee recently collaborated with the MMORPG ‘Lost Ark’ in Haeundae-gu, Busan, opening a pop-up store themed around the game character ‘Mokoko.’ Over 3,000 game fans visited the store on its opening day. A large barista Mokoko sculpture was installed at the entrance of the pop-up store. The store was decorated with a beach concept reflecting the characteristics of the Busan area, and photo zones utilizing the sculptures were set up.

Starbucks has recently been raising enthusiasm for the Busan Expo bid through a signature campaign and event booth installations. On the 28th and 29th of last month, signature campaigns for the Busan Expo bid were held at The Haeundae R store and The Jongno R store in Seoul, respectively, with 500 specially designed creative tumblers given away on a first-come, first-served basis. The tumblers were designed featuring images of Busan landmarks such as Busan Tower, Yongdusan Park, Marine City, and Gwangandaegyo Bridge. The event at The Haeundae R store was so popular that a long queue of customers formed even before it started, and it concluded successfully in less than two hours.

Meanwhile, the World Barista Championship (WBC), which gathers coffee industry professionals from around the world, will be held in Busan from the 23rd to the 25th of this month, attracting global attention from the coffee industry. The national barista selection competition is the most notable coffee contest, but until now, it has only been held in the Seoul metropolitan area, including Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. This event will see about 60 baristas from across the country come to Busan to compete.

Professor Eunhee Lee of Inha University’s Department of Consumer Studies analyzed, "Consumers do not always want the usual places they always go to, so if popular so-called ‘hip’ spaces are concentrated only in Seoul, interest may wane. However, if popular commercial districts spread nationwide, including Busan, it can provide new enjoyment. Especially, efforts to allow young consumers to enjoy diverse regional cultures are a desirable development."