Korea has some of the best cafes, and even the Starbucks locations are not an exception. Recently, this new 1960s-theatre-themed Starbucks has been all over social media! We made a visit here on a weekday morning and there were still a good amount of people! If you're coming to Korea in 2023, we highly recommend you add this to your list; it's definitely worth a visit! 

Based on data collected in November 2022, South Korea has 1,750 operating Starbucks locations nationwide, coming in as one of the countries with the most locations, just behind Canada (2,101 branches), China (6,019 branches), and the United States (15,873 branches). Here in South Korea, especially in Seoul, you can find a Starbucks on nearly every block! We made a visit to the newest notable location, Starbucks Kyungdong 1960 branch, located in Kyungdong Market, Dongdaemun. Let's check it out!

Information

Hours: Every Day 9:00-22:00

Address: 3F-4F, Gosanja-ro 36-gil, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 동대문구 고산자로36길 3 3~4층)

About Starbucks Kyungdong 1960

Credit: Starbucks Stories Asia

On December 15th, 2022, Starbucks Kyungdong 1960 had its grand opening in Kyungdong Market. This particular location is the fifth community store and is meant to bridge the gap between generations by incorporating retro decorations along with the theme of a theatre from the 60s. This Starbucks was restored from the Kyungdong Theatre, which was originally built in 1960 and has been closed since 1994, as you can see from the architecture, design, and structure of the cafe! 

Credit: Starbucks Stories Asia

The 1960s decor is meant to keep the spirit of the theatre and pay tribute to the heritage and traditions of Kyungdong Market! For every item sold, this Starbucks location will donate 300 KRW (~$0.25 USD) to the Korean Commissions for Corporate Partnership (KCCP). The funds will go towards supporting Kyungdong Market! This new location has been extremely popular among Koreans on social media, so we made a visit ourselves to see what all the hype was about! 

Our Visit

Starbucks Kyungdong 1960 is located closest to Jegi-dong Station, about 500 meters from Exit 2. We actually had to walk through portions of Kyungdong Market! It was fun to see all the different things being sold at the traditional market.

Don't be fooled by all the vendors selling fresh fish, grains, and traditional Korean medicine - there's a brand-new Starbucks located at the top of a flight of stairs! 

When you first walk in, you have to go another small flight of stairs, where you will first see a large projection on the wall and then a big area with the prettiest decorations! There are a lot of areas to take photos at, a gaming station, and another flight of stairs that leads to an escape room area (11:00-19:00)! 

Finally, we headed into the cafe. Even the entrance door looked like one from a theatre, so we were excited to go in! As soon as we opened the door, we were amazed by the high ceilings.

Once we walked out to the middle of the cafe, we could see just how huge it was! It really felt like we were in a theatre. This location is 850 square meters and has 143 seats! We visited on a weekday at around 9:15, just after it opened, so there were plenty of seats available. Let's take a look at the details of the interior!

Interior

Front Counter

First Floor Seating

Credit: Starbucks Stories Asia

Second Floor Seating

View from the Second Floor

Live Band Area

After securing a spot, we headed to the counter at the very bottom to take a look at the menu. 

There are paper menus available on a little table near the line; the regular menu, the seasonal menu, and the Kyungdong 1960 menu. On the Kyungdong 1960 menu, there are special pastries that are only available at this location! 

They had the special menu items on display along with the other pastries and desserts, so you can take a look before deciding what to order! 

Of course, we couldn't resist taking a look at the goods section as well. There were so many cute cups and tumblers! 

It's currently strawberry season in Korea, so there were lots of strawberry-themed goods. There were also traditional-themed goods and Valentine's Day goods! 

Right beside the goods section, there's a spot for a live band! Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 18:00-18:30, there is a live performance that takes place! 

After placing our orders, we waited at our spots. Another aspect that makes this Starbucks location unique is the way they call your order number or nickname! Since the store is so big, it would be impractical for the employees to try and call out order numbers, so they have a huge projection display on the wall where your order number or nickname will pop up when your order is ready! 

Finally, our order was ready! Be extra careful when taking your tray back to your spot - it's a long way to go and there are lots of stairs! We were sure to get some nice photos too! 

We ordered the Honey Cheese Walnut Bread (6,900 KRW) off the special Kyungdong 1960 menu, the Iced Black Rice Latte (6,800 KRW) off the seasonal menu, and the Pink Drink with Strawberry Acai Starbucks Refreshers (6,400 KRW). 

First, we tried the Honey Cheese Walnut Bread, which was a large piece of bread shaped like a bagel that had 4 different types of cheeses inside! It comes with a small packet of acacia honey that you can spread onto the bread. 

When we were cutting through the bread, it felt a little tough so we didn't have very high expectations, but the combination of the salty cheese, chewy bread, and sweet honey was delicious! It wasn't too heavy and is a perfect simple snack to have. It is quite big though; we couldn't finish it!

Next, we tried our drinks. The seasonal Iced Black Rice Latte was creamy and smooth and had a unique flavor of sweet rice. There was even a layer of popped rice on top that added a nice texture to the drink. This drink is part of the 2023 New Year seasonal menu and seemed to be inspired by Asian flavors! If you like rice-flavored sweets, you'll enjoy this! 

The Pink Drink with Strawberry Acai Starbucks Refreshers was added to the Korean Starbucks menu in August 2022, and has been quite popular in Korea! What originally started out as a secret menu item in the U.S. became an official menu item in 2017! This drink is refreshing, slightly milky, and sweet, and seems to be more delicious during the strawberry season! 

Both of the drinks paired well with the bread. We were extremely satisfied with our little breakfast here! 

When we first arrived at around 9:15, there were plenty of spots, but the cafe steadily filled up with visitors, and by the time we left at around 11, the main area was pretty full! We imagine that on the weekends, it'll be pretty packed! 

Overall, we'd say that the Starbucks Kyungdong 1960 location is worth a visit. The theatre-style interior itself makes it worth it and it's fun to look around such a huge cafe! On top of that, there are special menu items available here, and it's really fun to walk through the traditional market and then take a break in this unique Starbucks. If you enjoy visiting Starbucks and want to see one of the most unique branches in Korea, definitely come check it out! 

For more unique Starbucks Korea locations, check out our blog here:

Most Unique Starbucks Locations in Seoul

How To Get There

Leave from Jegi-dong Station Exit 2.

Go straight.

Keep going straight and cross the small road.

Keep going straight until you reach the big intersection, then cross the road and turn left. 

Walk straight through the market alleyway.

Go inside Entrance 4 of Kyungdong Market, which will be on your right.

You'll see a Starbucks sign on the top right.

Go up the stairs and turn left.

You'll see the Starbucks Kyungdong 1960 door. You've arrived!

We hope you have a chance to visit this amazing Starbucks location! If you have any questions or concerns, please leave a comment below or send us an email at help@creatrip.com. You can follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook to stay updated on all things Korea!

Source: Starbucks Stories Asia / Statista