Toko Kopi Tuku’s pop-up site in Gangnam, Seoul | Photo credit: Toko Kopi Tuku

Toko Kopi Tuku (TUKU) has opened a pop-up store in Seoul to test the appeal of Indonesian-style coffee in the South Korean market.
 

The Jakarta-based business has partnered with Seoul-based coffee roaster Kornerd Coffee for the pop-up site in Gangnam, which is open for a month from 25 March 2024. The store will serve a selection of TUKU’s iced-focused beverage menu, including Lattes with Aren Sugar, Iced Cappuccinos and Iced Caramel Macchiatos. 

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Founded in 2015, TUKU currently operates 60 stores across Jakarta and Tangerang. The coffee chain has not revealed plans to launch a permanent site in South Korea, but said it was seeking to learn from and explore the ‘vibrant’ market.
 

“This is our third trip to South Korea, and with each visit, my admiration for the country’s creative industry and vibrant coffee culture grew stronger. It’s this very fascination that fuels our wish to bring with us our TUKU flavours, right from the corner of Cipete in Jakarta to Seoul, hoping not to just meet new faces, but also to learn and explore,” said Andanu Prasetyo, CEO and Founder, TUKU. 

South Korea is the second largest branded coffee shop market in east Asia by outlets with an estimated 31,130 stores.  

World Coffee Portal’s Project Café East Asia 2024 report shows the total South Korean market grew 7% last year and is forecast to exceed 41,700 outlets in 2028.