[Nado Startup] Droptop "Now It's the Delivery Era for Coffee... We Run Anywhere"

Droptop Gwangju YouSquare Branch.

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Hyewon] There is a coffee specialty store named with the meaning of ‘drinking the best coffee at the best place.’ Droptop took its brand name from ‘Droptop,’ a highland where merchants traveling the Silk Road rested their tired bodies and minds.

Since launching the brand in 2010, Droptop became known to the public as ‘Jun Ji-hyun Coffee’ by featuring top star Jun Ji-hyun as its model. It is currently a specialty coffee shop operating about 200 franchise stores nationwide, including Seoul.

Droptop reflects trends in the coffee industry by emphasizing three core values as its brand identity. First is ‘More Special’ (Special). Specialty coffee refers to coffee made with premium beans that score 80 points or higher (out of 100) according to the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) standards.

The coffee bean ‘925 Blend’ used by Droptop is a signature bean developed over three years by carefully selecting high-quality beans tested more than 925 times by professional Q graders. Through post-blending techniques, the optimal roasting point is found to bring out a smooth flavor and subtle acidity.

Droptop Capsule Coffee.

Next is ‘Smarter’ (Smart). With the rise of non-face-to-face purchasing methods due to COVID-19, smart consumption methods such as subscription services and delivery orders rapidly took root, especially among the MZ generation. In response, Droptop partnered with Kakao to launch a premium bean subscription service. They also use reusable cups optimized for delivery so customers can enjoy coffee smartly through delivery apps. They offer a variety of products including capsule coffee and stick coffee suitable for home cafes, as well as coffee beans.

Due to the spread of non-face-to-face orders and increased demand for convenience premium consumption during COVID-19, some franchise stores recently enjoyed a ‘delivery boom’ with delivery sales increasing by more than 600% compared to the previous month. The total number of delivery orders across all franchise stores more than doubled month-on-month, and delivery sales increased by over 200%.

Lastly, ‘More Friendly’ (Social). Droptop emphasizes creating a pleasant and comfortable space to enjoy with anyone, valuing spaces where customers can stay comfortably for long periods and highlighting coffee as more than just a beverage but a cultural space. The store size is generally larger compared to competitors, and they thoroughly manage their brand philosophy with comfortable chairs and emotional interior design.

Earlier this year, Droptop changed its BI to White and Strong Blue, expressing strong confidence and warm sensibility. They opened new stores with an interior concept that creates a bright and lively atmosphere, harmonizing modern yet chic sensibility and rationality.

Also, the wood letter on one wall of the store is one of Droptop’s representative interior designs. The wood letter, a wooden board design engraved with the letters of Droptop, is a giant puzzle-shaped decoration irregularly arranged using the alphabet. It was inspired by stamping the origin on linen sacks containing raw coffee beans at coffee farms and won the Good Design Award hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

Inside DropTop Gwangju YouSquare branch.

This year, Droptop focused on expanding road shops and highway rest area stores in areas with high foot traffic to broaden the base of specialty coffee. They provided consulting to help franchisees find better locations through strict commercial district site analysis including traffic accessibility, foot traffic, and parking space, and spared no support for store openings.

Starting last year with a collaboration with Korea Expressway Corporation, opening stores at Anseong (Seoul-bound) and Cheonan Samgeori rest areas, they have opened about 50 new stores at road shops and rest areas this year and continue to expand. Droptop aims to be number one in market share for coffee specialty stores in rest areas.

Next year, based on long-standing know-how in coffee franchises, Droptop plans to take a step further as a healthy premium cafe in line with the ‘Healthy Pleasure’ consumer demand for enjoying health joyfully. The flagship store being prepared to open in Gangnam, Seoul, will offer a variety of bakeries that pair best with coffee. Especially by combining healthy drinks and desserts and responding to growing interest in veganism, they will provide differentiated service quality using premium ingredients tailored to customer needs, strengthening Droptop’s recognition among existing customers and naturally attracting the MZ generation with a special space concept.

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