[르포] “It only took an hour to enter”… After going to Starbucks’ first’Byeoldabang’

A large LED installed on the wall of Starbucks Byeoldabang. [사진 = 신미진 기자]

‘Byeoldabang’ has opened in Myeong-dong, Seoul. This is the place where Starbucks named the store under the nickname’Star Coffee Shop’ to commemorate the 22nd anniversary of entering Korea. Among the 1,500 Starbucks stores in Korea, Byeoldabang is the only one that has been adopted as a nickname without using a place name or building name.

In front of the Starbucks Byeoldabang, the first day of its opening on the 26th, there was a queue for admission, as if to prove the love of Korean coffee. According to the store’s explanation, there were around 30 customers waiting during business hours on this day.

Even on weekdays, various people visited Byeoldabang, from office workers to college students, mothers and daughters who came with their children with their children, and fans who bought a lot of Starbucks goods.

Mr. Choi, a 33-year-old office worker, said, “Since I was a student, I used to call Starbucks with my friends as a Byeolchabang, but it’s amazing to come to the actual store,” he said. Outside the store, a separate pick-up space for’Siren Order’, an untact order service aimed at office customers, was prepared.

On the afternoon of the 26th, there is a waiting line in front of Starbucks Byeoldabang. The entrance of the store is decorated with a traditional pattern of tile tiles. [사진 = 신미진 기자]

Admission was limited in accordance with the new coronavirus infection (Corona 19) quarantine rules. Waiting time to enter took about 30 minutes to 1 hour. The store with a total of 85 seats left about half of the seats vacated due to social distancing. You cannot use it for more than 1 hour from 2 people.

Upon entering the store, a digital art wall that fills one of the walls caught a glance. This is the first time that an 8m wide and 4m long LED wall has been applied in a store. In the large-scale LED, works in collaboration with illustrator Lee Gyu-tae appear in different colors depending on the day and night.

Waiting line for Starbucks Byeoldabang order. [사진 = 신미진 기자]

The interior focuses on comfort and friendliness. On the high ceiling, decorations with the motif of a traditional tile tile were seen everywhere. The arched wall, emphasizing the curvaceous beauty, also evoked a Korean feel. In one side of the store, there is a sofa seat overlooking the bonfire.

There is also a drink presented to commemorate the opening of Byeoldabang. Seven specialty beverages such as’Sakerato Apogato’,’Congomul Black Milk Tea,’ and’Byeolgung Omija Youthberry Tea’ can be tasted at Starbucks stores nationwide. Sakera, or Italian, is a combination of shake and latte. An official at Starbucks explained, “In commemoration of the 22nd anniversary, it contains the meaning of respect and appreciation for Korean customers.”

Bonfires installed in Starbucks Byeoldabang. [사진 = 신미진 기자]

Starbucks plans to hire the disabled and middle-aged, re-employed women whose careers have been cut off, and support for young people from the vulnerable through a recruitment support program for the vulnerable, as Byeoldabang baristas.

Meanwhile, the name’Starbucks’ comes from’Starbuck’, a first-class sailor who carries coffee every day in Herman Melbell’s novel’Moby Dick’. The’Siren’ in the Starbucks logo is an anti-human irony in Greek mythology, all of which are related to the sea.

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