[Exclusive] Starbucks to Offer Premium Food at Stores Nationwide... Establishes Food Development Office

'Premier Food Service Store' Discontinues Exclusive Premium Food Products at 10 Locations
Expanding Premium Food Service to Stores Nationwide...Promoting Diverse Food Experiences
Food Lab Fully Operational This Year...Conducting Food Development, Tasting, and Sensory Evaluation

Food introduced by Starbucks Coffee Korea.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seon-ae] Starbucks Coffee Korea is promoting the enhancement of 'food products' at stores nationwide to lead the 'cafe dining culture' where customers enjoy not only beverages but also meals. Until now, premium food products were offered only at 10 stores, but now high-quality food products will be sold at all stores nationwide, providing the same service. To promote this initiative, a Food Development Office has also been established within the headquarters.

According to Starbucks Coffee Korea on the 26th, the operation of exclusive premium food products, which had been provided only at 10 stores including Sogong-dong, Yeoksam Station, Cheongdam Intersection, Pami? Park R, Seosomun-ro, Hannam-dong R, The Jongno R, Hangangjin Station R, Yongsan Station Summit R, and Ewha Womans University R, was discontinued the day before. These 10 stores were previously distinguished as 'Premier Food Service Stores (PFSS)' offering food products not available at regular stores. With the discontinuation of product operation, the concept of 'Premier Food Service Store' has disappeared from Starbucks' store categories. Starbucks stores are now categorized only as regular stores, drive-thru, Reserve, and Community Stores.

PFSS stores were operated as test stores to enhance food quality. They were responsible for developing improved recipes that meet customer needs. A Starbucks representative explained, "Through the operation of PFSS stores, we now believe that food quality improvement can be achieved nationwide, so we decided to expand premium food service to all stores nationwide," adding, "Customers can enjoy a variety of food experiences at all Starbucks stores."

Notably, popular items from PFSS stores such as Mascarpone Tiramisu Cake, Quattro Cheese Bread, Barbecue Chicken Cheese Ciabatta, and Apple Triangle Cookie will be sold at stores nationwide.

Starbucks Coffee Korea's premier food service store.

To maintain Starbucks' unique competitive edge in food, exclusive products tailored to the characteristics of each store will continue to be introduced. At Everland R store, Melting Cheese Sandwich Meal Box, Meatball Penne Meal Box, and Smile Cookies are being sold. Cheongdam Star R store offers 46 types of premium British homemade-style foods. Stores in Jeju showcase Jeju-specialized foods such as Carrot Basalt Cake, Jeju Natural Syrup Set, Basalt Rusk, and Tiramisu Island.

To continuously introduce customer-tailored premium foods, a Food Lab with the nature of a Food Development Office was also established within the headquarters. Built last year and fully operational from this year, the Food Lab is where Starbucks' food product managers plan food products. They conduct sensory evaluations (a general term for investigating the unique characteristics of products through human sensory organs) of launched products and test equipment used for food operations.

A Starbucks representative emphasized, "We will showcase Starbucks' differentiated premium food experience at stores nationwide and continue to sell exclusive food products that reflect the characteristics of each store. Through the Food Lab, we will enrich customers' food experiences by developing new products, conducting evaluations, testing new platforms, and performing sensory evaluations with panels."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.