Starbucks, Known for Calling Out Customers' Names, Introduces Kiosks in Korea for the First Time Since Founding

Kiosks to Be Introduced at 10 Stores in Seoul and Jeju
Starbucks Japan Also Plans to Launch Kiosks

For the first time since its founding, Starbucks is introducing unmanned ordering systems, known as kiosks, at select stores in South Korea and Japan.

According to industry sources on May 26, Starbucks Korea will begin piloting kiosks at around 10 stores in Seoul and Jeju starting this week.

A citizen standing in front of Starbucks. Photo by Yonhap News

The first location to be equipped with kiosks will be a store in Myeong-dong, Seoul. Myeong-dong is a major area frequented by foreign tourists and is known for its high foot traffic. Starbucks plans to install kiosks at two stores in the Myeong-dong area this week. Tourists and customers are expected to be able to use the kiosks starting in early June. Select stores in Jeju are also scheduled to introduce kiosks sequentially throughout next month.

Starbucks Japan is also reportedly introducing kiosks at its stores in Japan around the same time. Japan, often referred to as the "vending machine heaven," has long utilized kiosks in restaurants and fast food outlets.

The introduction of kiosks is a measure aimed at improving operational efficiency at stores. While major domestic coffee franchises in South Korea have already adopted kiosks to enhance order efficiency and customer turnover, Starbucks has maintained face-to-face ordering in all its global stores, as its U.S. headquarters emphasizes personal interaction with customers as a core principle.

In South Korea, Starbucks has continued the practice of having staff take orders and call out customers' nicknames or waiting numbers, but it is now seeking strategic changes depending on store conditions. This is partly because it can be inconvenient for staff to call out customers during busy and noisy periods, such as lunchtime.

Since the second half of 2023, Starbucks Korea has begun introducing vibrating pagers, which are now used at more than 150 stores. There are about 2,000 Starbucks stores in South Korea. In 2014, Starbucks Korea also accelerated its digital transformation by launching Siren Order, a mobile ordering service that allows customers to order without waiting in line, for the first time in the world.

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