Amid ongoing debates surrounding the so-called "cafe study group" customers who spend extended hours studying or working in cafes, Starbucks has expanded its dedicated seating and launched an initiative to attract these customers. This strategy is interpreted as an effort to manage demand for long stays, enhance store efficiency, and increase customer satisfaction at the same time.

On April 9, Starbucks Korea announced that it is expanding the operation of its "Focus Zone," a dedicated 1-2 person space for customers visiting stores near universities for the purpose of studying or work.

Starbucks Hanyang University ERICA Campus Focus Zone. Starbucks Korea

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While single-person seats and seats with power outlets have previously existed, since August of last year, Starbucks has separated these from general seating and operated them as independent zones. This appears to be a measure to provide an environment tailored to customers studying or working, while minimizing inconvenience to general customers.

Currently, the Focus Zone is in operation at a total of six stores: Sillim Nokdu Street, Songpa Bangi, Ilsan Hugok, Gwanggyo Sanghyeon Station, Sejong University, and Hanyang University ERICA Campus. In particular, the Sejong University and Hanyang University ERICA Campus locations have dedicated about half of their store space to the Focus Zone, reflecting the characteristics of university commercial districts.

A customer working individually using two tables, carrying various personal devices such as a computer monitor. X Capture

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Debate surrounding the cafe study group customers continues unabated. These customers have been criticized for occupying seats for hours with just a single cup of coffee, leading to decreased turnover from an operational perspective.

On social networking services (SNS), images have circulated showing customers using partitions, laptops, tablets, headsets, and even printers, effectively turning the space into a "personal workspace," which has also sparked criticism.

This expansion of Starbucks' Focus Zone is interpreted as a "managed strategy" that goes beyond simple restrictions to separate and operate spaces according to usage purpose. Rather than excluding demand from cafe study group customers altogether, the intent is to absorb them into dedicated spaces and thereby improve overall store efficiency.

Starbucks is also pursuing a strategy of further segmenting spaces according to usage purpose. For example, at the Sejong Arts Center location, a "Family Friendly Zone" has been introduced, equipped with nursing rooms and diaper changing stations, expanding customized spaces for different types of customers. Kyu-Chan Lee, in charge of store development at Starbucks, explained, "We are expanding the customer experience through store designs tailored to usage purposes and stay patterns."