K-style Coffee Goes Chic in Paris: Seoul’s Oats Coffee Opens First European Shop
Creatrip Team
3 months ago
Oats Coffee, a Seoul-born café brand, opened its first overseas store in central Paris between the Louvre and Opéra Garnier, introducing the Korean-style “Einspänner” (a creamy espresso topped with thick whipped cream). Korean cafés are gaining popularity across European cities by offering dessert-focused menus—like matcha lattes with injeolmi (Korean rice cake) and salt bread—and interiors designed for lingering and social media photos. Unlike traditional European espresso culture, Korean cafés prioritize the experience of staying in the space, which appeals to young consumers. This trend is part of a broader shift from K-content to K-lifestyle: everyday Korean dining and café customs, such as free banchan (side dishes) and interactive dining formats, are being embraced abroad as fresh lifestyle experiences. Oats Coffee’s Paris debut, launched via a local license, shows how Korean elements that “blend in” with local city life can expand cultural influence beyond distinctive pop exports.
