"Having Iced Americano with My Pet Cat"… Jeong Yong-jin Creates First Starbucks Store Allowing Food and Drink with Pets

‘Animal Lover’ Jeong Yong-jin, Vice Chairman of Shinsegae Group
Starts Starbucks Pet-Friendly Store Business
15 Million Pet Owners... 15 Trillion Won by 2027
Starfield, Hotels, E-Mart Also Pet-Friendly

As the pet population reaches 15 million, the market for pet-related products is rapidly growing. This is due to the sharp increase in demand for related food and beverages, hotels, and travel as more people treat their pets like family, known as the 'Petfam' (Pet + Family). The retail industry quickly recognized this trend, and the company most actively entering the pet industry is Shinsegae Group. They are transforming their key affiliates?from E-Mart to Starfield, Starbucks, and the L'Escape Hotel?into 'pet-friendly' brands.

Vice Chairman Jeong Yong-jin of Shinsegae Group and 'Guri Galmae DT Branch,' the first Starbucks store in Guri-si, Gyeonggi-do, allowing pets to dine together.
[Photo by Shinsegae Group, Starbucks]

Starbucks, the number one coffee company in Korea, recently opened its first dog-friendly store where customers can dine with their pets, the 'Guri Galmae DT Branch' in Guri, Gyeonggi Province. While there were previously pet-friendly stores with dog parks, this is the first store in Korea where dogs and cats can enter the indoor space together. Starbucks had not been able to open dog-friendly stores before due to the Food Sanitation Act, which prohibited dining with pets in restaurants and cafes. Most dog-friendly cafes or restaurants operated by individual small business owners are run illegally due to a lack of accurate understanding of current laws.

Starbucks received a regulatory sandbox demonstration exemption, allowing a two-year regulatory waiver until January 4, 2026. They plan to expand dog-friendly stores to other locations such as 'The Bukhangang R Branch,' Yangpyeong, and Namyangju in Gyeonggi Province, while monitoring customer responses.

Starfield is famous as a shopping theme park where customers can shop with their dogs. Since 2016, starting with the Hanam branch in Gyeonggi Province, Starfield has implemented pet-friendly policies by introducing play facilities and restaurants for pets at each location. Additionally, they have installed pet waste bag stations, stroller rental services, and 'Pet Lounges' throughout the malls, making them popular weekend destinations for pet owners nationwide.

At E-Mart, some stores have dog playgrounds outside the checkout counters where customers can leave their pets for a fee while shopping. Guide dogs for the visually impaired are allowed in all stores. The L'Escape Hotel by Shinsegae Chosun Hotel has an entire 9th floor dedicated to pets, with rooms where guests can stay with their pets and pet zones where they can dine together. Pet stroller services are also available.

Shinsegae Group's pet-friendly initiatives align with the philosophy of Vice Chairman Chung Yong-jin, an animal lover. Known as a leading dog owner in the business community, Vice Chairman Chung regularly shares his daily life with his dogs on social media to engage with the public. In 2010, he opened 'Molly's Pet Shop,' a specialty store for pet products named after his dog 'Molly.'

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, as of 2022, 6.02 million households in Korea, or 25.4% of all households, own pets. This means one in four households has a pet. The domestic pet market reached 8 trillion won in the same year and is expected to grow to 15 trillion won by 2027.

Industry experts believe that as the pet population rapidly increases, the related market will become more segmented and diverse. Professor Eunhee Lee of Inha University's Department of Consumer Studies said, “Consumers regard pets as precious beings like their own children or grandchildren. As sales of related products such as pet food, snacks, toys, and 'dog strollers' increase, retailers will strengthen various marketing strategies to capture customers.”